for being drunke then for the fact he committed in drinke as Pittacâ—s in his statute-law enacted And as hee disgraceth and shameth himselfe so he shameth his parents Pro. 28.7 kinsfolks friends and all his acquaintance and maketh them so ashamed of him that they are afraid and ashamed to owne him Yea drunkennesse disgraceth and discrediteth the Gospell unto which it is cleane contrary for whereas the Apostle would have our conversation such as becommeth the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST Phil. 1.27 both the Gospel and the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through such ill livers Rom. 2.24 Yea it bringeth a scandall upon all that professe the same Religion with him Revel 2.9 Yea the Apostle tells us that their workes of darknesse which are done of of them in secret are so shamefull that it is a shame even to speak of them or once name them Ephes 5.11 12. Wherefore the drunkard shall bee filled with shame and shamefull spewing shall be all his glory Hab. 2.15 16. untill he be trodden under feet as the Lord threatens Isa 28.3 Thus drunkards by their drinking receive much hurt some in their bodies some in their braines some in their estates whilst they are called from their callings some in their names whiles bucking with drinke they are laid out to bee sunned and scorn'd some in their chastity whilst they are used as Lots daughters did their father c. which may serve to have beene spoken of his outward parts Now of his inward and more odious qualities for although the drunkards sorrow strife shame poverty and diseases together with his untimely death as one would thinke were enough to make this sin odious yet looke we further into him as namely into his more inward parts his secret abominations which follow and are occasioned through drunkennes that will make it hidious and fearefull at least if I had the skill to cut him up and paint him to the life § 24 IN speaking whereof Drunken nesse and Idâ—eâ—esse â—f each â—o 〈◊〉 â—â—â—h 〈…〉 â—auâ—e â—â—â—affect I will first lay open the ground of all which is idlenesse for although in one sense idlenesse may be called an effect of drunkennesse yet in another it may be called the cause both of it and all the residue of evills which accompany the same for idlenesse is the most corrupting Flie that can blow in any humane minde We learne to doe ill by doing what is next it nothing and hence it is that vice so fructifies in our Gentry and servingmen who have nothing to employ themselves in It is said of Rome that during the time of their warres with Carthage and other enemies in Africa they knew not what vices meant but no sooner had they got the conquest then through idlenesse they came to ruine Rust you know will fret into the hardest iron if it bee not used Mosse will grow on the smoathest stone if it bee not stirred Mothes will consume the finest garment if it bee not worne so vice will infect even the best heart if given to idlenesse Standing water is sooner frozen then the running streame hee that sitteth is more subject to sleepe then hee that walketh so the idle man is farre more subject to temptation then hee that is profitably exercised yea idlenesse saith one of the Fathers is the Devills onely opportunity for if hee come and finds us well busied hee leaves us for that time as having small hope to prevaile An idle person is good for nothing but to propagate sinne Idlenesse the most corrupting Fly that can blow in any humane minde to bee a factor for the Devill it faring with man as with the earth of which hee was made which if it bee not tilled or trimmed doth not onely remaine unfruitfull but also breeds and brings forth Bryers Brambles Nettles and all manner of noysome and unprofitable things so that Seneca seemes to be mistaken in calling an idle person the image of death for though the body be idle yet the soule like a river is alwayes in progression and his heart like a wherry either goes forward or backward It may be resembled to a well with two buckets the mind no sooner empties it selfe of good thoughts but it fills with evill cogitations If the seede dyes the blade springs the death of grace is but the birth of corruption Now all the Drunkard's labour All the drunkards labour is to sctisfie his Lusts is to satisfie his Lusts and all his life nought else but a vicissitude of devouring and venting as how many of them make it their trade and whole vocation to keepe company Whereas sweat either of the Brow or of the Braine is the destiny of all trades be they mentall or manuall for God never allowed any man to doe nothing Are not most populous places by reason of this vice like Antiochus his army fuller of mouthes then hands for if you marke it the company keeper and good fellowe according to the vulgar is the barronest peece of earth in all the Orbe the Common wealth hath no more use of him then Ieroboham had of his withered hand hee is like the dumbe Iacke in a Virginall for he hath not so much as a voice in the common wealth Whereas hee was borne for the good of his countrey friends family c. well may hee disturbe the common wealth and give offence and scandall unto all that are neere or about him Rom. 14 20 21. as being unfit to doe service or subject himselfe to be ruled by his Governors civill and ecclesiasticall but profitable hee is to none except Vinteners Inkeepers and Ale drapers who are the greatest loosers by him of all the rest though they seeme to gaine much for these are accessary to the Drunkards sinne and have a fearefull accompt to make for their tolleration of such seing they might and ought to redresse it so that their gaine is most unjust as may not that be written upon what ever they possesse which Diogenes writ under the golden Statua which Phryne the strumpet dedicated at Delphos this was gotten by the intemperance of the people and in the end will prove as unprofitable for hereby they endanger themselves and without repentance lose their soules Math. 16.26 What is recorded of Margites namely that hee never plowed nor digged nor did any thing all his life long that might tend to any good is truly verified in him hee is not more nimble tongu'd then gowty handed as Iulian the Apostate confest of himselfe and yet never thinkes hee shall give an account for this sinne of all the rest but surely if wee must give an account for every idle word much more for every idle day nay moneth nay yeare But I proceede All the paines hee takes is for the enemy of mankinde if you will have him worke you must chaine him in a celler where are good store of springs and give him the option or choice whether hee will pumpe or drowne which is
it but see the different natures of the godly and the wicked God forbeareth the wicked for the godlies sake As when Augustus had conquered Anthony and taken Alexandria the Citizens expecting nothing but present massacre the Emperor proclaimed a generall pardon for Arrius his sake a Philosopher of that City and his familiar friend Whereas the wicked in requitall persecute the godly for whose sake they are forborne and contemne those to whom they owe their very lives like as Brutus Cassius Domitius Trebonius Cimber Tullius and many others slew Iulius Caesar with 23. wounds in the Senate house albeit hee had lately pardoned them for fighting against him on Pompie's side or as they whom William the conqueror most advanced had the speciall hand in his destruction or as Pompilius Laena whom Marcus Tullius Cicero saved from the Gallowes by pleading his cause before the judges when he was accused for murthering his Father was the prime man that puld his head out of the Litter and cut it off But O foolish and unwise is this any other peece of policy then if the Sodomites should make hast to turne out Lot and his familie that fire and brimstone may make hast to destroy them for as when the Prophets went from Hierusalem then Sword and Famine and Pestilence and all plagues rained upon them even as fire came downe upon Sodome so soone as Lot was gone out Or as when Noah and his family were once entred the Arke the Flood came and destroyed the first world Gen. 7.11.13 so the number of Christs Church being accomplished fire shall come down to destroy the second world yea the raine should not fall nor the earth stand but for the elects sake the earth should burne the elements melt the heavens flame the divels and all reprobates bee laid up in hell the elect men and Angels imparadised in heaven all but for this Gods number is not yet full till this be done Sathan may range abroad the wicked domineere the righteous suffer misery and sinne walke their round the heavens move the Seas ebb and flowe the world stand and the Lord suffers all Wherefore cease yee malicious sinners to vex the religious you are beholding to them for your very breath if they were taken away you should be tormented before your time yea make you friends of such as feare God for it is no smal happinesse to be interrested in them who are favourites in the Court of Heaven one faithfull man on these occasions is more worth then millions of the wavering and uncertaine Indeed you may so long provoke the Lord that he will not suffer his people to pray nor intreat for you as is well set forth Ier. 7.13 to 17. and then can you expect nothing but death and hell Yea the time will come when all Christs enemies shall be dragged out of the prison of their graves to behold him whom they have pierced Revelation 1.7 at what time there shall be no Moses to stand in the gap for them no Aaron to stand betweene the living and the dead no Noah Daniel or Iob to pity or pray for them yea when there shall bee no more mercy no more patience no more repentings in God towards them but judgement without mercy or mitigation but God laughing at their destruction and the Saints which shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6.2 3. rejoycing to see the vengeance that they may at length wash their feet in the blood of the wicked Prov. 1.26 Psal 58.10 when there shall be no Rocks nor Mountaines to fall upon them when the earth shall melt with heate when the day of the Lord shall burn as an oven and eat their flesh as it were fire Revel 6.16 2 Pet. 3.10 Mal. 4.1.2 3. Iam. 5.3 § 140. TEnthly 10 Their sin is not against the life of body or estate but against the soules of men thy sinne is incomparably greater and consequently thy punishment shall be in that the hurt which thou doest to thy neighbour is against his soule For as the hurting and endamaging of the person and life of another is a more hainous offence then is the diminishing of his goods and outward estate so the hurt which redowndeth by our meanes unto the soule of any is much more abominable every way both in it selfe and in the sight of God then is that wrong which is offered unto his body Now thou art a soule murtherer yea many are the soules which thou hast intentionally and as much as in thee lyeth slaine with death eternall and what canst thou expect without repentance and an answerable endeavour to win soules as fast to God as formerly thou hast to Sathan but to bee many fathoms deeper in Hell then other men will God powre out his curse and vengeance on them which make the blind stumble to the hurt of his body Deut. 27.18 and will he not much more do this to soule-destroyers An objection answered Objection But thou like those Disciples Iohn 6.60 wilt think this a hard saying neither canst thou believe that thou art a soule murtherer though I have made it undeniable in Section the 100.101.113.134.115.116.117 Answer But it will one day be a harder saying if you take not heed when Christ shall answer all your apologies with depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels Mat. 25.41 Luk. 13.25 to 29. As for further proofe of what I lay to thy charge I could easily shew thee how The daily scoffes reproaches c. of thee and thy fellovves 1. Detaines 2. Staggers 3. Keepes 4. Beates 5. Hardens many From entering into a religious course Which have made some progresse in the vvay From doing the good vvhich they vvould or appearing the same which they are Clean off from their profession And makes them resolve against goodnesse For there is no such rub in the way to Heaven as this Sathan hath not such a tryed shaft in all his quiver which makes our Saviour pronounce that man blessed that is not offended in him Matth. 11.6 But of these severalls elsewhere least I should overmuch seeme to digresse only I grieve to see how they wrong themselves in thus wronging others for in that wicked men doe so mock and deride such as are in love with heavenly things it is hard to say whether they doe most offend in hindering the honour of God thereby or their neighbours wellfare or their own salvation What are the waters of thine own sinns so low that thou must have streames from every place to run into thine Ocean thy owne burthen is unsupportable yet thou wilt adde to the weight other mens that thy rising may be irrecoverable Content thy selfe for assuredly thou shalt once pay deare for it either by teares or torment Yea let such take heed for the fire of Hell will be hot enough for a mans owne iniquities he needs not the iniquities of others like fuell and Bellowes to blow and increase the flame which if they
gaines God himselfe and so his blessing upon all outward meanes Hagg. 1.6 c. O that thou hadst the wit to know how when all is done to be saved and to have thy children saved is the best plot to know that the Proverbe which saith Happy that child whose father is gone to the Devill is farre from being Canonicall Sixtly and lastly 6. He prefers bables and trifles before things of greatest worth he estemes not of things according to their true value but preferreth bables and trifles before things of greatest worth which is the most remarkable property of a naturall foole that is As Iudas preferred thirty peeces of silver before Him that was the price of the world and ransome of mankinde so the Politician preferres earth yea Hell to Heaven time even a moment of time to eternity his body before his soule which if a man have once lost he hath nothing else to loose yea his outward estate before either soule or body Whereas the godly care for the soule as for the cheife jewell and only treasure and for the body for the soules sake and for this world for the bodies sake and settle their inheritance in no land but the land of promise their end being to possesse a kingdome without end They are not like Shebna who built his Sepulcher in one countrey and was buried in another but like our English Merchants that traffique in Turkie and get wealth in Turkie yet plant not in Turkie but transport for England Gods people are not like the first Indians that hang'd Bugles at their eares while they left their gold on the dunghills It cannot be said of them as it may of the most that they worship the golden Calfe because they consider that pecunia the world 's Queene I meane that world whereof the Devill is King extends her regiments but to the brim of the grave and is not currant one step farther Yea they are so farre from being of these mens minds who are of Alexander's mind who as the Philosopher said yesterday the whole world did not content him â—ow ten cubâ—ts containe him that they thinke him none of the wisest who being askt whether he would rather be Socrates or Croesus the one an industrious and pâ—infull Philosopher the other a man flowing in all abundance was so discreete as to answer that for this life he would be Croesus but for the life to come Socrates But to returne to the worlds wiseman let him be offered his choice as oftimes he is whether he will forgoe himselfe I meane his faith which is the summe of all or such a booty he will forgoe his faith and consequently his soule himselfe and all that is truely his like the foolish Marine that seeing a fish in the Sea leaps into the water to catch that which together with his life he looseth or like Narcassus who to embrace his shadow drowned himselfe yea set life and death before him as Moses did before the Israelites Dâ—ut 30.15.19.20 and withall shew him from Matth. 25.46 that this life offered is eternall felicity that death threatned everlasting woe and misery which words are of such extent that as a worthy Writer hath it though all the men that ever have or shall be created were Briareus-like hundred handed and should at once take pens in their hundred hands and should do nothing else for ten hundred thousand millions of yeares but summe up in figures as many hundred thousand millions as they could yet never could they reduce to a totall or confine within number this trisillable word e-ter-nall or that word of foure sillables e-ver-last-ing and then bid him choose which of the two hee likes best his heart which is harder than an Adamant will make answer take Heaven Paradise that eternal felicity and future happines who will it is good for me to be rich and happy while I live much like Cardinall Burbonius who said hee would not leave his part in Paris for his part is Paradise or Themistocles who was not ashamed of this damnable speech in his mouth If a man should shew me two severall wayes the one leading to Heaven the other to Hell of the twaine I would choose the latter wherin he is more sottish then the Indians and more heathenish then the infidels of Florida Virginia New-England and Kanida who for a Copper Kettle and a few toyes as Beades and Hatchets will depart from the purest Gold and sell you a whole country even the houses and ground which they dwell upon for the whole world is not worth one soule But worldly hearts are penny wise and pound foolish Worldly men are penny wise and pound foolish they know how to set high prises upon the worthlesse trash of this world but for heavenly things or the God that owes them this they shamfully under-value like Iudas who valued Mary's oyntment which she bestowed upon the feet of Christ at three hundred peeces of silver and sold his Master on whom that odor was spent at thirty And this is one reason As the affection which an adulterer beareth to a strumpet doth exceedingly diminish the love which he should beare to his lawfull wife so the love that wicked men beare to these vain and transitory things wondrously diminish that zeale and affection which they should bear towards Christ and heavenly things But it is otherwise with the godly But it is farre otherwise with the godly for as they that are after the flesh saveur the things of the flesh so they that are after the Spirit savour the things of the Spirit and our opinion onely endeareth and increaseth the price of things When one boasted how faire a shee-slave hee had bought for a pound another made reply that she was to deare of a groat Commodities are but as they are commonly valued Now because transitory things in the next life beare no value at all and because there is nothing firme under the firmament they hold it very good coveting what they may have and cannot leave behind them And though others most love what they must leave and think that money will buy any thing like foolish Magus who thought the Holy Ghost himselfe might be had for money or the Divell who presumed that this bait would even catch the Son of God yet the wise and religious can conceive no reason why it should bee so doted upon as it is especially since riches can no more put off the Gout or asswage griefe or thrust out cares or purchase grace or suspend death or prevent hell or bribe the divell then a Satten sleeve can heale a broken Arme. They think it the best purchase that ever was in the world to buy him who bought them in comparison of whom all things are drosse and dung as S. Paul speaks Philip. 3.8 for if we once have him wee have all things If saith Paul God hath given us his own Sonne how shall he not with him give us all things also Rom.
out in thy good purposes 5 Shame not to confesse thy dislike of it in thy selfe and others and meanest to bring thy thoughts to the birth thou must not be ashamed to confesse with that honest theife upon the crosse even before thy companions and fellow drunkards that thou art not now the same man thou wast both thy mind and judgement is changed and so shall thy practise God assisting thee nay thou wilt not only forsake thy sin but their company too except they will forsake their old customes of drinking and scoffing and jeering at sobriety and goodnesse And so doing thou mayst perchance winne thy Brother even as that penitent wanton in St. Ambrosse did his old love who when she courted him according to her accustomed manner and wondred at his overmuch strangnesse saying why doe you not know who I am answered yes I know you are still the same woman but I am become another man I am not I now neither would You be You any longer if yee knew so much as I doe 4 But if yet they persist 6 Fly evill company and seeme incorrigible flye their company for feare of infection least it happen with thee as once it did with a chast person among Penelopes suters who went so often with his friend till in the end he was caught himselfe for if thou keepest them company there is no possibility of thy holding out to the end though thou shouldest for a time as a man may make some progresse in a good way and yet returne before he is halfe at his journeys end as Saul kept himselfe well for two yeares Iudas for three yeares and as it is storied Nero for five yeares yet all fell into damnable wickednesse scarce three worse in the world But of this more in it's proper place Besides how hard a thing is it for thee a coward to shew thy dislike of this sin in some companies where thou shalt be scoff't at thy selfe if thou dislike their drinking and scoffing at others Fiftly 7 Take heede of delayes another thing which I had need to advise thee of is to take heede of delayes for to leave sinne when sin leaves us will never passe for true repentance besides if the evill spirit can but perswade thee to deferre it untill hereafter he knowes it is all one as if thou hadst never purposed to leave thy sinne at all as you have it largely proved Sections 151.152.153 Sixtly 8 Omit not to pray for divine assistance omit not to pray for the assistance of God's spirit to strengthen thee in thy resolution of leaving this sinne St. Ambrosse calls prayer the key of Heaven yet prayer without answerable endeavour is but as if a wounded man did desire helpe yet refuseth to have the sword puld out of his wound Sevently be diligent in hearing God's Word which is the sword of the Spirit 9 Be diligent in hearing that killeth our corruptions and that unresistable cannon-shot which battereth and beateth downe the strong holds of sinne Eighthly 10 frequent in the use of the Lords-Supper be frequent in the use of the Lord's Supper wherein we dayly renew our covenant with God that we will forsake the Devill and all his workes of darkenesse Ninthly 11 Meditaâ—e what God hoth done for thee ponder and med tate on Gods inestimable love towards us who hath not spared to give his Sonne to death for us and the innumerable benefits which together with him he hath plentifully bestowed upon us both in temporall and spirituall things say unto the Lord what shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits but love my Creator and become a new creature Tenthly meditate on that union 12 Meditate on that union we have with Christ c which is betweene Christ and us whereby wee become members of his glorious body and so shall we stand upon our spirituall reputation and be ashamed to dishonour our Head by drawing him as much as in us lyeth into the communication of this swinish sinne consider that our bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost the which we shall exceedingly dishonour if by drinking and swilling we make them to become like wine vessells Eleventhly 13 Consider that the Lord beholdeth thee whersoever thou art consider that the Lord beholdeth thee in all places and in every thing thou doest as the eyes of a well drawne picture are fastned on thee which way soever thou turnest much more while in a brutish manner thou liest wallowing in this sinne and consider him as a just judge who will not let such grosse vices goe unpunished Twelftly be ever or at least often thinking of the last and terrible day of Iudgment when we shall all be called to a reckoning 14 Often thinke of the day of judgment not only for this sinne but for all other our sinnes which this shall occasion to our very words and thoughts And lastly if thou receivest any power against this great evill forget not to be thankfull and when God hath the fruite of his mercies he will not spare to sow much where he reapes much § 176. MOre especially 15 Morcespecially consider the heinousnesse of thiâ— sin and the evills which accompany it that thou maist master and subdue this abominable sin doe but set before thee in a generall view the heinousnesse thereof and the manifold evills and mischiefes which doe accompany it of which I have already spoken as that it is a vice condemned by God and men Christians and infidells that thereby we grievoussy offend God by making our bellies our god by unfiting and disabling our selves for his service by abusing his good creatures which with a plentifull hand he hath bestowed upon us the necessary use whereof many better then we want that thereby we sinne in a high degree against our neighbours generally and particularly against the whole Church and common wealth strangers and familiar acquaintance and most of all against our owne family that hereby we most grievously sinne against our selves by making us unfit for our callings and for the performance of all good duties by disgracing our profession and bringing our selves into contempt by making our selves the voluntary slaves of this vice by impoverishing our estate and bringing upon us want and beggery by infatuating our understandings and corrupting our wills and affections by deforming disabling weakning and destroying our bodies and bringing our selves to untimely death by excluding our selves out of the number of Christs members by quenching the gifts of the Spirit and strengthening the flesh and lusts thereof by causing our soules to be possessed with finall impenitency which is inseparably accompanied with eternall damnation Also remember that as in it selfe it is most sinfull so it is also the cause of almost all other sinnes as of the manifold and horrible abuses of the tongue of many wicked and outragious actions and particularly of those fearefull sinnes of murther and adultery Also call to
mind that as it is the cause of sinne so also of many heauy and grievous punishments as making a man lyable to a fearefull woe and Gods heauy curse subjecting his name to infamy his state to beggery his body to diseases infirmities deformities and immature death his soule to senselesse sottishnesse and depriving the whole man of the joyes of Heaven entereth him into the possession of eternall hellish torments and this will be a good meanes to make thee moderate thy greedy desires mortifie thy carnall affections and curbe thy unruly appetite by putting a knife to thy throate as Salomon adviseth saying I could but I will not take more then is good or fit Yea the consideration of these things and of the wofull condition that drunkards are in will provoke thee to hate their opinions to strive against their practise to pity their misguiding to neglect their censures to labour their recovery and to pray for their salvation For O how ugly doth this monster appeare to the eye of that soule which hath forsaken it how doth she hate her selfe for loving so foule so filthy a fiend for to an understanding rectified The Drunkard is a strange Chimaera more prodigious then any Monster being in Visage a man but a Brotheus Heart a Swine Head a Cephalus Tongue an Aspe Belly a Lumpe Appetite a Leech Sloth an Ignavus a Ierffe for Excessive devouring Goate for Lust Siren. for Flattery Hyaena for Subtilty Panther for Cruelty in Envying a Basiliske Antipathy to all good a Lexus Hâ—ndering others from good a Remora Life a Salamander Conscience an Ostrich Spirit a Devil 1 in surpassing others in Sinne. 2 in tempting others to Sinne. 3 in drawing others to Perdition even the most despicable peece of all humanity and not worthy to be reckoned among the Creatures which God made § 177. SEcondly 16 Abstaire from oâ—unken company for all depends upon this if thou vvouldst reclaime thy selfe from this vice have a speciall care to refraine the company of this drunken Route Pro. 23.20 1 Cor. 5 11. who not only make a sport of drunkennesse but delight also to make others drunke I say as Christ said beware of men Matth. 10.17 for he that goes into wicked company will come wicked out at least worse then he went in It is rare if wee denie not Christ with Peter in Caiaphas his house with Salomon it is hard having the Egyptian without her Idolls whereupon the Fuller in the Fable would not have the Colliar to live in his house least what he had made white the other should smut and collow yea be as wary and as wise as a Serpent to keepe out and get out of their company but as innocent as a Dove if it be possible while thou art in it and canst not choose remembring alwayes that they are but the Devills deputies yea humane Devills as once our Saviour called Peter being instrumentall to Sathan Sathan himselfe get thee behind me Sathan Matth. 16.23 they that will have his trade must have his name too Now by thy observing or not observing this Rule it will appeare whether there be any hope of thy reclaiming for all depends upon this yea could the most habituated incorrigible cauterized drunkard that is even dead in this sinne but forsake his ill company I should not once doubt of his recovery for doe but drive away these uncleane birds from the carkasse a million to a mite the Lord hath breathed into his nosthrills againe the breath of life and he is become a living soule Thirdly and lastly 17 abstaine from drunken places abstaine from drunken places which are even the nurseries of all ryot excesse and idlenesse making our land another Sodom and furnishing yearely our Jayles and Gallouses farre be it from me to blame a good calling to accuse the innocent in that calling I know the Lord hath many in the world in these houses but sure I am too many of them are even the dens and shops yea thrones of Sathan very sinkes of sinne which like so many common-shores or receptacles refuse not to welcome and encourage any in the most lothsome pollutions they are able to invent and put in practise Admonition to sellers of drâ—nke Church-wardens Constables c. who if there were any hope of prevailing would be minded of their wickednesse in entertaining into their houses encouraging and complying with these traitors against God and of their danger in suffering so much impiety to rest within their gates for if one sinne of theft or of perjury is enough to rot the rafters to grind the stones to levell the walls and roof of any house with the ground Zac. 5.4 what are the oathes the lyes the thefts the whoredomes the murthers the numberlesse and namelesse abominations that are committed there But should I speake to these I should but speed as Paul at Ephesus I should be cryed downe with great is Diana after some one Demetrius had told the rest of this occupation Sirs ye know that by this craft we have our wealth surely if feare of having their Signes pulled downe their Licences called in c. cannot prevaile it little booâ—es me to speake Only to you Church-wardens Constables and other Officers that love the Lord the Church the State your selves and people helpe the Lord the King and his lawes against this mighty sinne Present it indite it smite it every one shoote at it as a common enemy doe what you can to suppresse and prevent it Tell me not he is a friend a Gentleman such an ones kinsman that offends for he is better and greater and nearer to you that is offended learn to feare to love and obey your Maker and Saviour your gracious Protector yea learne this Normane distinction when William the first censured one that was both Bishop of Baieux and Earle of Kent his Apologie to the plaintife popeling was that he did not meddle with the Bishop but the Earle doe you the like let the Gentleman escape but stocke the drunkard meddle not with your friend and kinsman but for all that pay the drunkard or if you doe not to your power you shall have Ahab's wages his faults shall be beaten upon your backes 1 King 20.42 But most of all are they to be desired who are within the commission of peace in God's name whose servants they professe themselves to be to remember him themselves their countrey their oathes to bend their strength power against this many headed monster that they will purge the country much more their own houses of this pernicious and viperous brood yea if there be any love of God any hatred of sin any zeale any courage any conscience of an oath away with drunkennesse out of your houses Towns Liberties balk none beare with none that offend say they be poore in whose houses the sinne is practised it is better one or two should loose their gaine than Towns of men should loose their wits their wealths their
medicine saith St. Austin yea admit thou wert put to this extremity that thou must either drinke excessively against thy stomacke and conscience or else thou must die for it as sometimes it falls out either drinke or I 'le stab thee it is farre better saith the same Augustine that thy sober and temperate flesh should bee slaine by a sword then that thy soule should be evercome by this sinne of drunkennesse And indeed the magnanimous Christian will lose his life rather then the peace of a good conscience like Iohn Baptist he will hold his integrity though he lose his head for it And indeed Death in a good cause shall pleasure not hurt us let a man but keepe a good corespondence with God and his owne conscience and then he may answer all as he did when the Tyrant threatned him I will take away thy house yet thou canst not take away my peace I will breake up thy schoole yet shall I keepe whole my peace I will confiscate all thy goods yet there is no Premunire against my peace I will banish thee thy countrey yet I shall carry my peace with mee so mayst thou say take away my riches yet I have Christ take away friends liberty wife and children life and all yet I have Christ that is to me both in life and death advantage Suppose thou beest kild for obeying God rather then man what greater honor can be done thee Queene Anne Bolane the Mother of blessed Queene Elizabeth when she was to be beheaded in the Tower thus remembred her thankes to the King Of a private Gentlewoman said she he made me a Marquesse of a Marquesse a Queene and now having left no higher degree of earthly honour for mee he hath made me a Martyr And what said Iustine Martyr to his murtherers in behalfe of himselfe and his fellow Martyrs you may kill us but you can never hurt us And Francisco Soyit to his adversaries you deprive me of this life and promote me to a better which is as if you should rob me of counters and furnish me with gold The sooner I die quoth another the sooner I shall be happy and even in the very act of suffering God gives courage with the one hand and holds out a crowne with the other 2 Cor. 1.5 and 12.10 When Pyrrhus tempted Fabricius VVhich hath made many preferre it before the greatest pleasure profit or honour the first day with an Elephant so huge and monstrous a beast as before he had not seene the next day with money and promises of honour he answered I feare not thy force and I am too wise for thy fraud He will never feare to be killed who by killing is sure to be crowned His resolution is like that of Consalvo who protested to his souldiers shewing them Naples that he had rather die one foote forwards then to have his life secured for long by one foote of retrait And good reason for doth not our Saviour say whosoever shall seeke to save his life in this case shall lose it I more he shall lose both body and soule eternally for so the words imply but whosoeuer shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospells he shall save it Mat. 10.39 Luke 17.11.33 This priviledge hath God given to those that feare him that they need not to feare any thing else Yea though every paine they suffer were a death and every crosse an Hell they know they have amends enough when they heare the Holy Ghost say Apoc. 2.10 be thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee the crown of life And indeed this promise which is added should me thinkes be a notable spurre to our perseverance should exceedingly sharpen the commandement and drive it more deepely into our minds making us to say with Pompey being to cary corne to Rome in time of dearth and the Sea tempestuous it is necessary that I goe on not that I live Many have thought health worthy to be purchased with the price of Cauthers and Incisions how painefull soever but alasse eternall life is a precious pearle which a wise Merchant will purchase though it cost him his life yea had he a thousand lives and all that he hath Mat. 13. The women told Naomy that Ruth was better unto her then seven Sonnes Ruth 4. but Christ is better then seventy times seven lives for what is life together with a perpetuated fame from Adam till doomes day in respect of salvation for eternity or what are they that can only kill the body to Him that after he hath kild the body can cast both body and soule into Hell But as warme cloathes to a dead man But others preferre the worlds favour before Gods so are the motions of valour to a fearefull heart say what can be said cleare mens judgements cure their prejudice many will yet feare the worlds opinion more then Gods displeasure which is to runne into the fire to avoid the smoake and more dread the mockes and flouts of men on earth then they doe the grinning mockes of the Devills in Hell which makes them cease to be good Christians that they may be thought good companions wherein they put downe Aesop's foolish fishes that leapt out of the warme water into the burning fire for ease or Timocrates who as Thucydides relates kil'd himself for feare least he should be drowned Wherefore seeing all men cannot receive this gift of fortitude save they to whom it is given I will yet shew you if not a more excellent yet a more safe way to avoid this danger and all other their allurements § 194. IF thou wouldest neither bee intised nor enforced to pledge them VVe must refraine their company and not dispute with them o◠we shall not hold out in any of their wicked customes divorce thy selfe from all acquaintance and society with the vicious yea entertaine no parly with them There are some vices of that nature that they cannot be vanquished but by avoiding such is fornication fly fornication saith the Apostle 1 Corinth 6.18 that is flee the company of fornicators for to be in a lewd womans company saith Salomon and depart innocent and to take fire in a mans bosome and not singe his cloaths or go upon live coles and his feet not be burnt are equally possible Prov. 6.27 28. such is the frailty of mans nature that if the eye but see or the eare heare or the hand but touch a whorish woman the heart will goe nigh to catch and take fire verse 29. And thus is fares with this sinne bid a man consort a while with drunkards and depart from them innocent you may as well put a match to dry powder and forbid it to take fire except he be very well stayed and of better governd affections then ordinary It is not safe to commit a little Wherry to the Seas violence A sticke that hath once been in the fire much more a Torch newly extinguisht being forth with
cure untill the Master himselfe came and to that mad man they are very like For as hee being fore vexed fell oftentimes into the fire and oftentimes into the water so these being robbed of their strength and senses by drinke are frequently subject to all fearefull accidents and miserable mishaps which often fall out by reason thereof As some being drunke fall into the fire and are burned as I could instance in a Gentleman of worth that rising to make water could finde no fitter place to doe it in then the chimney where being a few live embers hee fell downe and not being able to rise againe had his belly puckerd together like a sachell before the Chamberlaine could come to helpe him whereupon being in great torture hee dranke off twenty two double jugs of beare and so dyed roaring and crying that he was damned for breaking his vow which he had made of reformation some againe fall into the water and are drowned as is commonly seene againe some fall and batter their faces bruise their bodies breake their armes their legs and many breake their necks in the very act of drunkennesse whose cases are desperate others are wounded beaten and many times murthered as often times they stab and murther others but this is notably described by Salomon Proverbs 23.29 to 36. Indeed drunkennesse is nothing else nor hath ever beene reputed amongst the wise and learned then a voluntary madnesse a temporary forfeiture of the wits worse then frenzie in that the one is violent the other voluntary that the evill of punishment but this the evill of sinne The wine which of it selfe is a good creature of God and being moderately taken of excellent use becomes to them which use it to surfeit as the water of the river Gallus in Phrygia which maketh all those mad that drinke of it other vices doe but alter and distract the understanding whereas this utterly subverteth the same and astonieth the body even wrath makes a man a beast but drunkennesse makes a man mad and if so how odious is this sinne For if it be a hatefull thing for a man to wound his owne flesh and willfully to maime the members of his body how abominable is it to wound the mind it selfe and to offer violence unto our reason and understanding If it be a crime to offer violence against the subjects then surely to lay violent hands upon the King himselfe and to pull him out of his Regall throne must needs bee condemned as an outragious wickednesse Or lastly suppose them men they are but like that man spoken of Marke 5.2 to 6. who being possest of the Divell lived amongst the graves and cut himselfe with stones for they love none but base company base places and base courses and what other doe their frequent and horrible oathes but cut them deeper then those stones did him It 's true hee may seeme to be in a better condition as first he may have a name to live but indeed he is dead as S. Iohn speakes Secondly he may have the appearance of a man but indeed he is a beast as Ieremy speakes Thirdly he may be thought a sound man but indeed he is Demoniacall obsessed or rather possessed with a Devill yea many Devills and more miserable then such an one because it is a Devill of his owne chosing as Basil speakes And certainely if every raygning sin be a Devill as S. Austin holds much more if the heart of a Reprobate containes so many Devills as unchast thoughts as St. Gregory affirmes every true Drunkard is possest with more Devills then Mary Magdalen was and good reason for as our Saviour intimates the Devill can find no such rest in dry places Math. 12.43 Indeed this may seeme to some ignoramusses a big word but let mee tell you the corporall possession of evill Spirits is not so rare as the spirituall is rife no naturall man is free one hath the spirit of error 1 Tim. 4.1 another the spirit of fornication Ose 4.12 another the spirit of blasphemy Revel 2.9 and 13.1.5.6 another the spirit of falsehood Math. 24.11 another the spirit of feare 2 Tim. 1.7 another the spirit of slumber Rom. 11.8 another the spiof giddinesse Esay 29.9 to 15. another the spirit of pride all have the spirit of the world 1 Cor. 2.12 Yea let me assure you from Gods word that all yee who are not changed in the image of your minds Eph. 4.23.24 Rom. 12 2. who have not yet felt the power of godlinesse 2 Tim. 3.5 are as truly though spiritually carryed by evill spirits into the deeps of your knowne wickednesse as ever the Gadarean hogs were carried by them downe the precipice into the Sea Alas the Devill hath more then one way to possesse men hee keepes possession in some by his Tenants as by drunkennesse swearing whoredome c. in others actually and immediately by himselfe yet hee rather choseth to possesse men by these his tenants then by himselfe that so hee may not carry them against their wills as hee did that man in the Gospell into the fire and water so using violence to their bodies all those forced and violent motions which they performe who are really possest being the Devills owne sins but rather desireth to carry them willingly and drive them as free horses that neede only the shaking of the hand to the Taverne to the stewes to this or that evill company and therefore hee desired not to possesse Iobs body because his intent was to draw Iob himselfe to blaspheme God So that wicked men although their bodies are free usually from this possessive power of Sathan yet Sathan hath a farre greater power in the voluntary motions of their bodies and soules even such a power as that they shall be agents in what they doe and as guilty of the sinne as himselfe when he makes them abuse their eyes to wantonnesse their mouthes to filthinesse and makes their feete swift to shed blood so that as Paul being guided by the good spirit of God could say I live not but Christ lives in me Gal. 2.20 so may they we live not but the Devill lives in us for he is their god 2 Cor. 4.4 and their Prince Iohn 14.30 and workes in them his pleasure Eph. 2.2 2 Tim. 2.26 Now this possession of soule and body together is the more fearefull and yet the more ordinary neither doe men marvell or wonder thereat because it is not discerned § 10. 5 BUt fiftly that Drunkards are possest with as many Devills as raigning sinnes is not all their condition being yet worse for in effect they are turned Devills In the former place you saw men transformed into beasts prye more narrowly into them They transforme themselves into the condition of evill Angells and you shall see those beasts transformed againe into Devills in the delight they take in sinne in their mischievous tempting others to sinne for surely if want of reason makes a beast abuse of reason
some crime or other putting him to his choice either of Drunkennesse Adultery or Murther he chosing the first in his drunkennesse he abused the wife of him in whose house he was and her husband comming in the whilst he slew him and so in chosing that one he committed all three which being rightly considered me thinkes a man had neede to be drunke before hand that shall admit of more wine then enough that shall for one houres mad mirth hazard a whole age of griefe and shame together with his displeasure that is able to destroy both body and soule in Hell § 13. BUt you have not heard all Drunkennesse disables and indisposeth men to all good yea to all the meanes thereof for as others observe it is a queller of all good notions motions actions a sinne which decayes all a mans good parts and morall vertues which disables men from all good imployments either in Church or Common-wealth making them unprofitable which otherwise might be serviceable and indisposeth them to grace and godlinesse yea to all the meanes thereof For as by too much raine saith St. Austin the earth is resolved into dirt and made unfit for tillage so Drunkards by excessive swilling are altogether so unfitted for the spirituall tyllage that they can bring forth no good fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse but rather like bogs and marishes are fit to breed nothing but vermine frogs and serpents that is all manner of abominable sinnes and lothsome wickednesse More particularly it keepes them from repenting Esa 22.12.13 and all saving knowledge Esa 28.7 debarreth them from regeneration Christs righteousnesse and that heavenly inheritance Rom. 13.13.14 Gal. 5.21 1 Cor. 6.10 by it the spirit is quenched Eph. 5.18 and the body of sinne with all it's lusts strengthened 1 Pet. 2.11 yea the soule by it is made like a City broken downe and without walls Pro. 25.28 besides it keepes them in finall impenitencie Esay 5.11.12 Pro. 23.35 Neither can that soyle which brings forth this vice like ground sown with salt bring forth any other thing which is good I meane so long as a man is such The roote of all evill the rot of all good as snow can never be made hot so long as it is snow yea where drunkennesse reignes or carries the raynes there cannot dwell the least good that heart is empty of all grace and indeed how should such a worthy princesse as grace is endure such rogues for her bed-fellowes so many filthy lusts as are in the Drunkards heart to lodge with her yea as smoake drives Bees from their hive so drunkennesse drives all the graces from such an heart And how should the Holy-Ghost which delights to dwell in the heart of an holy man but scorne to be an inmate where drunkennesse is an inhabitant noysome lusts and evill cogitations drive him away if the Divell comes in the Holy-Ghost will goe out And therefore the Scripture tells us that the spirit went from Saul when he sinned 1 Sam. 16.14 and so on the contrary when the Holy Spirit enters into the heart of a man all sinnes in some measure are abandoned as when the King comes into the Tower all the prisoners goe out The Drunkards heart is like Mare mortuum The Drunkards heart a Mare Mortuum for as no fish will live there so no grace will thrive here it is the roote of all evill the rot of all good Much traveling makes bad way if one goe but now and then over a Meadow the grasse will neverthelesse grow but when it is made a common through-fare and beaten roade for all passengers this maketh the path bare so the frequent custome of sinne in any heart when there is a perpetuall concourse of all filthinesse hinders yea kills every good motion as fast as it springs up and this is a sinne which turnes a man wholly into sinne The Drunkard resembles Vejovis that Heathen god who could doe no good but hurt at will and is like Ahab who sold himselfe to worke wickednesse yea worse if worse can be for the Drunkard wholely dedicates resignes surrenders and gives himselfe up to serve sinne and Sathan his whole imployment is onely to drinke drab quarrell sweare scoffe slaunder and seduce as if to sinne were his trade and he could doe nothing else like the Devill who was a sinner from the beginning a sinner to the end To say that sinne were in him would be improper for hee is nothing else but sinne in the abstract as St. Austin speakes even a very Chaos of sinne bunged up for as when a man is overcome with anger we say hee is in heate and when wee say such a man is in drinke wee imply more then that drinke is in him yea when we call a man a Drunkard we imply more then that he is drunke or hath beene drunke for it argues frequency and lastly as when Simon Peter told Simon Magus thou art in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity hee implyed that not onely these were in him but hee in them so both more is implyed and it is more proper to say of a sotted and fordid Drunkard hee is sinne then a sinner yea that man of sinne is not fuller of sin then such an one so that as Solomon saith speaking of the vertuous woman many daughters have done vertuously but thou surpassest them all so may I say of a Drunkard many sinners have done wickedly but thou surpassest them all § 14. BUt to roave no longer in generalls The Drunkard cut up and anatomized having given you a superficiall view of this Monster and the summe of that which he makes his onely Summum bonum in a lumpe or as it were wrapt up I come now to strip him naked and turne his inside outward by acquainting you with such speciall and particular observations as best deserve our discovery and the worlds notice In handling whereof it is not to be expected that I should observe a distinct propriety in referring all particulars to their generall heads for as much as many of them are coincident one with another Neither will I undertake to observe an exact order in his description seeing hee keepes none at all in his life my principall care being to paint him really and historically not poetically every way as he is his words as he speakes them his deeds as he acts them even to the very life and present him upon the Stage such as the Spectators may verily thinke they either see him or the Devill in his likenesse as Sr. Tho. More concluded touching Erasmus when he but heard him speake having never before seene the man § 15. The first thing I 'le fall upon shall be His body touching which I will lay open 1 his outward deformities 2 His inward infirmities 1 HIs outward bodily deformities are many and those odious His outward deformities as if you observe it The Drunkard commonly hath Vertumnus like a brasill Nose a
goes in Now no marvaile that Starchaterus did exceed other men in strength and savagenesse when he fed onely upon Beares flesh and frequently drank their blood Secondly another reason is when the drink is in the wit is out and so having lost the stern of reason hee is apt to say or doe any thing hee can stand to execute except vertue a meere stranger to him And it shall go hard but he will either give offence or take it for having once fallen out with his owne wits and members that one goes one way and another another way he can agree with no body but becomes raging mad as a heathen hath it in Salomons words A drunken man you know will make a fray with his own shadow suppose he but nods against some post or table for they will even fall a sleepe as they sit he is so stupified that in revenge he will strike his opposite for the wrong and then call for drinke to make himselfe friends againe which friendly cup gives occasion of a second quarrel for whether he laughs or chafes he is a like apt to quarrell or let but a friend admonish him hee were as good take a Beare by the tooth When Cambyses being drunk was admonished thereof by Prexaspes No admonishâ—ng a drunkard who was one of his councell what followed Cambyses commandes his admonishers sonne to be sent for and bound to a post while he shot at him and then having pierst his heart vauntingly cryes out now judge whether I am drunk or no. This sinne scornes reproofe admonition to it were like goads to them that are mad already or like powring Oyle down the chimney which may set the house on fire but never abate the heate Neither can the rest better brooke what he speaks then he what they speak for these Pompeian spirits think it a foule disgrace either to put up the least wrong from another or acknowledge to have overslipt themselves in wronging of another whereby thousands have been murthered in their drink it faring with them as it did with that Pope whom the Divel is said to have slaine in the very instant of his adultery and carry him quick to hell For this is the case of drunkards as of Souldiers and Marriners the more need the lesse devotion I am loth to trouble you with the multitude of examples which are recorded of those that having made up the measure of their wickednes have Ammon like dyed and beene slaine in drink God sometimes practising martiall law and doing present execution upon them least fooles should say in their hearte there is no God though he connives at and deferres the most that men might expect a Judge comming and a solemne day of judgement to follow And what can be more fearefull then when their hearts are merry and their wits drowned with wine to be suddenly strucken with death as if the execution were no lesse intended to the soule then to the body or what can bee more just then that they which in many yeares impunity will find no leisure of repentance should at last receive a punishment without possibility of repentance I know speed of death is not alwayes a judgement yet as suddennes is ever justly suspicable so it then certainly argues anger when it findes us in an act of sinne Leisure of repentance is an argument of favour when God gives a man law it implies that hee would not have judgement surprise him § 20. NOw as drunkennesse is the cause of murther Drunkennesse the cause of adultery so it is no lesse the cause of adultery yea as this sinne is most shamefull in it selfe so it maketh a man shamelesse in committing any other sin whereof lust is none of the last nor none of the least Yea saith Ambrose the first evill of drunkennesse is danger of chastity for Bacchus is but a pander to Venus hereupon Romulus made a law that if any woman were found drunke shee should dye for it taking it for granted that when once drunke it was an easie matter to make her a whore The stomach is a Limbeck wherein the spirit of lust is distilled meates are the ingredients and wine the onely fire that extracts it For as the flame of mount Aetna is fed onely by the vapours of the adjacent sea so this fire of lust is both kindled and maintained by surfeiting and drunkennesse When the belly is filled with drinke then is the heart inflamed with lust and the eyes so filled with adultery that they cannot but gaze upon strange women as Salomon shewes Prov. 23.33 whereas love saith Crates is cured with hunger You know when the Iron is hot the Smith can fashion it to his pleasure and wine tempers the heart like wax for the divels impression when a man is drunk Sathan may stamp in his heart the foulest sinne but lust will admit no denyall Yea drunkennesse inflames the soule and fills that with lusts as hot as hell high diet is adulteries nurse They rose up in the morning like fed Horses saith the Prophet and what followes every man neighed after his neighbours wife Ier. 5.8 which is more then true with us for drunkards like the Horse and Mule which have no understanding no shame no conscience c. especially your brazen brain'd and flinty foreheaded clownes can no sooner spie a woman or maide chast or unchast even in the open streets but they will fall to imbraceing and tempting her with ribaldry scurrility turning every vvord she speakes to some lascivious obscene sense vvhereof they are not a little proud though it vvould make a vvise and modest man even spue to heare them But to goe on When Lot is drunke hee is easily drawne to commit incest with his owne daughters not once perceiving when they lay downe nor when they rose up Gen. 19.32 to 36. Rarò vidi continentem quem non vidi abstinentem saith St. Austin you shall rarely see a man continent that is not abstinent and it 's a true rule for that heate which is taken at the Taverne must be alaid at the brothelnouse the blood which is fired with Bacchus must be cooled with Venus and soe Sathan takes two Pigeons with one beane And the Divell should forget both his office and malice if hee did not play the pander to Concupiscence this way for idlenesse makes way for loose company loose company makes way for wine wine makes way for lust and lust makes worke for the Devill Venus comes out of the froth of this Sea I will never believe that chastity ever slept in the Drunkards bed for although I cannot say that every whormonger is given to drunkennesse yet I may truely say that there are no Drunkards but are either given over or greatly inclined to whoredome This sinne fills the heart and eye both eyes if not the whole life with horrible filthinesse naturall unnaturall any this is so cleare a truth that darknesse it selfe saw and confest it even a
Poet of the Heathens could call eating and drinking the fuell that maintaines the fier of Lust for Lust saith hee is quenched by abstinence kindled by excesse and nothing sooner kills this tetter then that fasting spittle of abstinence for how should the wieke burne without tallow or the lampe without oyle That Wine is an inducement to Lust David well knew or else hee had spared those superfluous cups but when hee would have forced Vriah to lye with his wife that so shee might have a colour for her great belly and the child might appeare legitimate hee first made him drunke 2 Sam. 11.13 Even as Ice is ingendered of water so is Lust of intemperance The Drunkard is like a Sâ—lamander stone which fires at the sight or every flame yea if hee but see a whore and shee him like the Weesell and Basiliske they poyson each other with their sight Pro. 7. One Devill is ready to helpe another in mischiefe hee that tarrieth long at the wine saith Salomon his eyes shall looke upon strange women and his heart shall speake lewd things Proverbs 23.33 and St. Paul witnesseth that the fruits of gluttony and drunkennesse are chambering and wantonnesse Rom. 13.13 Yea as drunkennesse is the onely businesse of loyterers so lewd love is the onely businesse of Drunkards for while they are awake they thinke and speake of it and when they are asleepe even when other mens thoughts lye at Anchor they nothing but dreame of it and what is it a Drunkard loves halfe so well as a whore Yea Wine so inflames the Drunkard with Lust that were his power equall to his desire were his dreames and wishes all true hee would not leave a Virgin in the world might but his acts answer the number of his desires nature could scarce supply him with severall objects or could his wishes take effect Popery might have many Nuns it should have no maids Now what decayes health and strength and consequently shortens a mans dayes more then whoredome when so many dye of the Pox a disease which slayes thousands though they will not be known of it for because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread Pro. 6.26 yea shee causeth many to fall downe wounded and all the strong men are slaine by her her house is the way unto the grave which leadeth downe to the chamber of death Pro. 7.26.27 And so much of the drunkards body § 21. SEcondly if wee dive deeper into him Drunkennes Beastiates the soule and search into his soule what one sinne more mangles and defaces Gods Image and mans beauty then this how doth it damme up the head and spirits with mud how doth it infatuate the understanding blind the judgement pervert the will and corrupt all the affections how doth it intrap the desires surprise the thoughts and bring all the powers and faculties of the soule out of order which occasioneth one to say where drunkennesse raignes as King there reason is banished as an exile the understanding is dulled counsell wandereth and judgement is overthrowne And with this accordeth Seneca who defines drunkennesse to be a voluntary madnesse or a temporary forfeiture of the wits yea the Holy Ghost affirmes that the excesse of wine makes men mad foolish and outragious Pro. 20.1 for being worse then the sting of an Aspe it poysoneth the very soule and reason of man Yea wee finde this and a great deale more by experience for many a man drinkes himselfe out of his wits and out of his wealth and out of his credit and out of all grace and favour both with God and good men Neither is the Scripture lesse expresse for Salomon calls wine a mocker and tells us that strong drinke is raging And Hosea affirmes that wine takes away the heart Chap. 4.11 And wee reade elsewhere that wine makes men forget God and his lawes Pro. 31.5 Yea utterly to fall away from God and to be incapable of returning for it is commonlie accompanied with hardnesse of heart and final impenitence Esa 5.11.12 and 56.12 Pro. 23.35 For admonish such as are bewitched and besotted with the love of wine you speak to men senseles past shame and past grace Tell them of some better imployment they will say as once Florus an idle fellow was wont I would not be Caesar alwayes marching in armor to whom Caesar replyed and I would not be Florus alwayes drinking in a Taverne Yea being wrapt in wine and warme cloathes they so like their condition that they would not change upon any termes no not to be glorified Saints in Heaven as those swine and other brutish creatures which Circe transformed would by no meanes be perswaded to become men againe though they were put to their choice by the said goddesse or sorceresse rather upon the earnest request of Vlysses You shall never perswade a Drunkard that the water of life is the best wine In a word by long custome they turne delight into necessity and bring upon themselves such an insatiable thirst that they will as willinglie leave to live as leave their excessive drinking in regard whereof St. Austin compares drunkennesse to the pit of Hell into which when a man is once fallen there is no redemption Yea this vice doth not onely rob men of reason but also of common sense so as they can neither prevent future danger nor feele present smart But of this enough having already proved them as much worse then beasts as beasts are better then Devills Besides I shall occasionallie treate more of the soules Character in sundry particulars which follow § 22. 5 FIfthly Drunkennes brings poverty as hee deformes his body impaires his health shortens his life beastiates his soule c. so he consumes his estate and brings himselfe to poverty and want as to whom is poverty as Salomon speakes but to Drunkards who thinke no cost too much that is bestowed on their bellies who consume their wealth at the wine even while they have swallowed downe their whole estates As let the Drunkard have but a groate it burnes in his purse till it be drowned in drinke if hee have gold he will change it if plate hee will pawne it and rather then not satisfie his gut away goes all to the coate on his backe yea rather then hee will scant as they say his belly had hee a jewell as rich as tenne Lordships or as Cleopatra's was that womanlike swaggerer his throate shall have it O that either wealth or any other blessing should be cast away thus basely Or suppose he bee a labouring man and must earne it before he have it he will drinke as much in a day saith St. Ambrose as hee can get in a weeke spend twelve pence sooner then earne two pence And hence it commeth to passe that the company keeper goes commonly in a ragged coate as it is seldome seene that they offend the Statute against excesse in apparell for rather then so they will goe naked and
they should dare to make that a shooing-horne to draw on drinke by drinking healthes to him I cannot bee in charity with the places that permit this with the persons that pardon it much lesse with such Belialists as practise it But see greater abominations then these for as yet wee bee but in the Haven if wee launch out into the deepe we shall meete with Sea-monsters farre fowler evills § 29. 3 FRom wicked talking hee proceeds to cursed and impious swearing blaspheming c. His cursed and impious swearing blaspheming c. as you seldome see a Drunkard but hee is a great swearer and not of petty oathes but those prodigious and fearefull ones of Wounds and Blood the damned language of ruffians and monsters of the earth together with God damne me which words many of them use superficially if they repent not Yea the Drunkards and desperate ruffians of our dayes sweare and curse as if Heaven were deafe to their noyse yea they have so sworne away all grace that they count it a grace to sweare and that not onely when they are displeased with others will they tare the name of their Maker in peeces which is no better then frenzie but in their very best moodes Prophane Drunkards sweare even as dogs barke not ever for curstnesse but mostly out of custome neither know they that they sweare though they nothing but sweare as you shall heare a man when reproved for swearing presently rap out oathes that he swore not like men desperately diseased their excrements and filth comes from them at unawares And as by much labour the hand is so hardened that it hath no sense of labour so their much swearing causeth such a brawny skin of senselessenesse to overspread the heart memory and conscience that the swearer sweareth unwittingly and having sworne hath no remembrance of his oath much lesse repentance for his sinne O the numberlesse number of oathes and blasphemies that one blacke mouthed Drunkard spits out in defiance as it were of God and all prohibitions to the contrary Yea I dare affirme it had some one of them three thousand pounds per Annum his meanes would hardly pay those small twelve penny multes which our Statute imposes upon swearers were it duly executed And if so to what number wil the oathes amount which are sworne throughout the whole land yea in some one Alehouse or Taverne where they sit all day in troopes doing that in earnest which wee have seene boyes doe in sport stand on their heads and shake their heeles against Heaven where even to heare how the name of the Lord Iesus is pierced would make a dumbe man speake a dead man almost to quake Did you never heare how Caesar was used in the Senate house if not yet you know how a kennell of Hounds will fall upon the poore Hare one catcheth the head another the leg a third the throate and amongst them shee is torne in peeces even so these hellish miscreants these bodily and visible Devills having their tongues fired and edged from Hell fall upon the Lord Iesus one cryes Wounds another Blood a third Heart a fourth Body a fifth Soule and never leave stabbing and tearing him with their stinges till no whole place be left Thus they pierce his side with oathes and teare all his wounds open againe whereas the Iewes did but crucifie him below on the earth when hee came to suffer these crucifie him above in Heaven where hee sits on his throne And which I feare to thinke it may bee a question whether there bee more oathes broken or kept for woe is mee one sells an oath for a bribe another lends an oath for favour another casts it away for malice c. but the Drunkard without any incitement tumbleth out oathes at adventure and is as lavish of them as of ill language O misery O wickednesse What shall I say that ever any who weares Christs badge and beares his name should thus rise up against him that ever those tongues which dare call God Father should suffer themselves thus to be moved and possessed by that uncleane Spirit that ever those mouthes which have received the sacred Body and Blood of the Lord of life should endure to swallow these odious morsells of the Devills carving § 30. BUt as the Church doth not owne such wicked and prophane wretches for her children so Drunkards deserve like dirt in the house of God to be throwne out if they had their due like dirt in the house of God they should be throwne out into the streete or as excrements and bad humors in mans body which is never at ease till it bee thereof disburthened as St. Augustine speakes Neither could they blame any except themselves in case they were marked with the blacke cole of infamy and their company avoided as the Apostle adviseth Rom. 16.17 2 Thes 3.6.14 Eph. 5.5.7 1 Cor. 5.5.11 1 Tim. 1.20 if they were to us as Lepers were among the Iewes or as men full of plague soares are amongst us for as the Holy Pages before quoted warrant this so there are many good reasons for it as First because even the Gospell 1 Because they bring an ill name upon the Gospell cause the enemy to blaspheme God and the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles and an evill scandall raised upon the whole Church through their superlative wickednesse Rom. 2.24 As what else but the unchristianlike behaviour of such Christians hath caused the Turkes even to detest the true Religion And what was it that alienated the Indians from the Christian Religion and made them refuse the Gospell brought by the Spaniards but this they saw their lives more savage then those savages Yea it made the poore Indians resolve that what religion soever the Spaniards were of they would be of the contrary thinking it unpossible that such cruell and bloody deeds could proceed from any true Religion or that hee could be a good God who had such evill Sonnes and the argument is of force for who are Scythians if these be Saints who are Canniballs if these be Catholiques Whereas in the primitive times more of them were wonne to the faith by the holy lives of Christians then by the doctrine which they taught they made the world to reade in their lives that they did believe in their hearts and caused the Heathen to say this is a good God whose servants are so good for thus they reasoned these men are surely of God and without doubt looke for a world to come Neither was the Gospell thus honoured by some few onely but by all that profes't it For Tertullian witnesseth that in his time a Christian was knowne from another man only by the holinesse and uprightnesse of his life and conversation But as for prime Christians viz. the auncient Fathers their labours their learning their sincerity to men and devotion to God was the wonder of the world whereas all the difference betweene these and very
Secondly will a thiefe or murtherer at the Barre alledge for his excuse and defence that it hath beene his use and custome of a long time or if hee doe will not the judge so much the rather send him to the Gallowes Secondly because it is a sin to which of all other sinnes wee have the fewest temptations for whereas other sins have commonly some sensible profit to midwife them into the world as the Usurer finds an increase of wealth who desires to live with lesse faith and more security or pleasure as the Adulterer finds his stoln bread of Sathans seasoning and providing far sweeter then what God hath given him of his owne or credit as the Hypocrite findes who like that Romane Woolfe talkes of Religion when hee meanes policy and playes the foule devill under the shape of an Angel of light and may be resembled to an ugly Toade in an Ivory box or a painted pot full of deadly poyson These and many other sinners which I could name have some inducement to provoke them some reasons to alledge indeed they are all taken out of the Divels Lectures but the swearer hath nothing to provoke him nor nothing to say but that he loves this sin because it is a sin and because God forbids it which is most fearefull and damnable and as a man would thinke should make it unpardonable I am sure this makes it inexcusable For what hast thou to say for thy selfe this sinne is neither pleasing nor profitable nor laudable but hath a more pure corruption and venome in it then any of his fellowes and must needs issue from meere malice and contempt of God for all thou canst expect by it is the suspition of a common lyer by being a common swearer Yea thou canst but procure this fruit by thy swearing that thou shalt vex others and they shall hate thee which thews that thou delightest in evill meerely because it is evill as sinne is more stirred up and irritated by the Law yea inhibition inciteth and restraint inviteth a desperate wicked wretch and his nature most desireth what is forbidden As it fared with Eve and that Gentleman in Venice who while it was left to his owne free choyce in ninety yeares together never went forth of the Citie but being hereupon confined and that upon paine of death was observed a while after to ride much abroad Sinne saith the Apostle tooke occasion by the commandement Romans 7.11 as if mans nature delighted in this or that evill so much the more because the Law forbids them Yea most finde it here in as in matters of bookes which being once called in and forbidden become more saleable and publike The Dictates of the law being to sinfull lusts in mans heart as water to quicke lime a meanes to inkindle them and make them boyle the more fiercely But know this thou swearer that he is bottomlesly ill who loves vice because it is vice he is a desperate prodigious damnable wretch and full of the venome of the serpent that will rather then not dye anger God of set purpose and without profit procure his owne destruction which is thy case if thou usest his Name to make up idle places of a hollow or unfilled sentence or to vent and utter with some more grace and force thy choller and malice Yea this proves thee worse then an Oxe led to the slaughter for hereby thou becommest thine owne executioner Alasse thou art not of thy selfe worthy to serve or to name him how then darest thou to make him and his Name to serve thee thy prophane discourse and thy rash and untempered anger § 33. AGain That of all other the swearer shal be sure of plagues supopse the Minister tels them that Swearing and Cursing is the language only of hell and no where frequent but amongst the damned spirits which shewes them to be the Divels best schollers upon earth and of his highest form with whom the language of Hell is so familiar that blasphemy is become their mother tongue and that they speake not a word of our country language the language of Canaan that they are so hardened in evill that they are past grace and past feeling that the swearer and blasphemer is like a mad dog which flieth in his masters face that keepes him That as roaring and drinking is the horse way to Hell whoreing and cheating the footway so swearing and blaspheming followes Corah Dathan and Abyram That it is a sure rule and an undoubted signe if any man doe sweare and curse ordinarily that he never truly feared God as it cannot be that the true feare of God and ordinary swearing should dwell together in one man yea dead are they while they live if they live in this sinne That Sathan stands ever at the swearers elbow to take notice reckon up and set on his score every oath he sweareth and keepes them upon record against the great day of reckoning at which time he will set them all in order before him and lay them to his charge and that then every oath shall prove as a daggers point stabbing his soule to the heart and as so many weights pressng him downe to Hell And shall further tell them that swearing is cloathed with death Ecclus 23.12 and that the swearer wounds his owne soule worse then the Baalites wounded their owne bodies that he which useth much swearing shall be filled with wickednesse and that the plague shall never goe from his house yea his house shall be full of plagues Ecclus 23.11 that the curse of God shall enter into the house of the swearer and shall remaine in the midst of it and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof untill the owner be destroyed Zach. 5.2.3.4 that God himselfe will be a swift witnesse against swearers Mall 3.5 That the Almighty hath spoken it and that in thunder and lightning how hee will not hold them guiltlesse which take his name in vaine and that such mighty sinners as they bee shall be mightily punished And goe on in this manner to shew them the heynousnesse of their sinne and grievousnesse of their punishment it is to no purpose for they will answer all yea confute what ever hee can say with this short sentence God is mercifull yea though the swearer hath made his soule Hell fire hot with oathes and blasphemies yet hee presumes that one short prayer for mercy at the last gaspe shall coole him they will not believe that are ordained to perish Yea the Divell and sinne so infatuates and besots them that they thinke to be saved by the same Wounds and Blood which they sweare by and so often sweare away that Heaven will meete them at their last hower when all their life long they have galloped in the beaten roade toward Hell not considering that the Devill being alwayes a lyer labours to perswade the Godly that their estate is damnable and the wicked to believe without once questioning that they
I can witnes that one of no meane parts being invited to a buriall puld out his key in the Church being halfe a sleepe halfe awake and knockt on the pew crying Drawer what is to pay By all which it appeares that drunkennesse deprives men both of wit and memory and yet madly wee persue this vice as the kindler of them but no wonder when the forbidden Tree which promised our first parents knowledge took their knowledge from them the same divell having a hand in both I might proceed to his knowledge in the best things and shew you As drunkards are purblind to worldly wisdome so they are stark blind to heavenly that whereas some are like the Moone at full have all their light towards earth none towards heaven other like the Moone at wane or change have all their light to heaven-wards none to the earth drunkards are like the Moon in Eclips having no light in it selfe nether towards earth nor towards heaven Though they are apt to thinke themselves Giants for wit and Eagles for light and judgement even in Divinity also which makes them so put themselves forward as how often have I seene a case of leather stuft with wind as he in Marcellus Donatus thought himself a very beefe-brain'd fellow that hath had onely impudence enough to shew himselfe a foole thrust into discourses of religion thinking to get esteeme when all that he hath purchased thereby hath beene onely the hisse of the wise and a just derision from the abler judgements not unlike that Germane Clown who undertooke to be very ready in the ten Commandements but being ask'd by the Minister which was the first he answered thou shalt not eat If you doubt of it doe but aske the drunkard a reason of his faith and you shall see hee can no more tell you then the winde can tell which last blew off my hat Or onely heare him relate what the Minister spake for seldome but hee stumbles at and mistakes his words for as when S. Augustine justified free will against the Manichees the ignorant would take him for a Pelagian and when he denied free-will to the Pelagians they would take him for a Manichee when he was neither but disputed against both the extreames the one utterly denying it the other too highly extolling it so when the Minister teacheth that it is impossible for a man to bee justified by his workes bee they never so glorious and exact performaÌ„ces these brutish drunkards wil cry out he condemneth good works if he shew them the necessity of living well they 'll thinke hee excludeth faith from justifying let him prove it a dead faith which is without good workes and those good workes but shining sins which are without faith and shew that both faith and workes are equally necessary to salvation and they will understand hee meanes them both as meritorious causes whereas he acknowledgeth neither but faith as an instrument good workes as a necessary concomitant God alone the efficient and Christ alone the meritorious cause of salvation for know this that good workes cannot justifie us before the severe Tribunall of Almighty God our workes deserve nothing it is onely in Christ that they are accepted and onely for Christ that they are rewarded Neither is it faith which properly saves us but the righteousnesse of Christ whereon it is grounded by grace yee are saved through faith Ephesians 2.8 It is the God of truth that speakes it and woe unto him that shall make God a lyer by grace effectually through faith instrumentally we are not justified for the onely act and quality of believing it is the justice of Jesus that justifies us which faith apprehends it was the brazen Serpent that healed not the eye that looked on it yet without a looking eye there was no helpe to the wounded party by the promised vertue It is true our Adversaries oppose this doctrine both with Pens and Tongues violently in the Schooles invectively in the Pulpets but come they once to their death-beds to argue it betweene God and their owne soules then grace and grace alone mercy and onely mercy Iesus and none but Iesus this their great Belweather is driven to confesse yea saith another give us this faith and then let our enemies doe their worst the Devill tempt the world afflict sinne menace death afright yet faith will vanquish all through the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ Againe let a Minister speak against affectation of learning in Sermons they will say he condemnes learning let him tell such as live and allow themselves in drunkennesse adultery swearing deceiving c. that they are in a damnable condition and in a reprobate sense they will say he calls them reprobates and judgeth them damned in all which they resemble the Saddâ—ces who tooke occasion to deny the Resurrection from that wholsome doctrine taught that we should neither serve God for reward nor feare of punishment but meerely out of obedience and love or the Iewes who when Christ speake of the Temple of his body understood him to meane the materiall Temple and thereupon tooke great exceptions Yea we have a world of such amongst us who seeme Malchus like to have their right eares cut off they heare so sinisterly And rather then not carpe if the Minister but use a similitude for ornament and illustration sake borrowed from nature or history they will say he affirmes the matter thereof possitively to be true like as that simple fellow thought Pontius Pilate must needs be a Saint because his name was put in the Creede And so much to prove that the Drunkard hath neither wit nor memory § 42. HAve we yet done no An unpardonable crime not to drinke as they doe I would we had I would we were well rid of these filthes but let us proceed in speaking as they doe in drinking By that time these gutmongers have gulped downe so many quarts as either of their names hath letters in it they have drawne in some fresh man who perhaps after the third health refuseth to drinke any more being of Diogenes his humor who being urg'd at a banquet to drinke more then he was willing emptied his glasse upon the ground saying if I drinke it I not onely spill it but it spills me so this mans unacustomed rudenesse and monstrous inhumanity begins a quarrell For it is an unexcusable sault or as I may say an unpardonable crime to refuse an health or not to drinke equall with the rest or to depart while they are able to speake sense and this they can almost prove for was not Pentheus son to Echion and Agave by his owne Mother and Sister torne in peeces for contemning of Bacchus his feasts hereupon many have lost their lives because they would not drinke but happily by Gods blessing and the parties patience in bearing their fowle language he hath delivered himselfe of their company at which they are so vexed that they gnaw their owne tongues for spight and
Beere good drinke But in the meane time how many thousands which are hard driven with poverty or by the exigents of warre might be relieved with that these men spend like beasts whiles that is throwne out of one swines nose and mouth and guts which would refresh a whole family O wofull calamity of mankind saith S. Augustine how many may we find that doe urge and compell those that be already satisfied to drinke more then becometh them and yet will deny even a cup of small drinke to the poore that beg it for Gods sake and for Christs sake they pinch the hungry to pamper the full withhold drinke from the thirsty to make others drunke with too great abundance § 44. BUt It is Gods unspeakable mercy that wee have not a fomine or that the land doth not spue out her inhabitants for this sin O how just a punishment were famine after such a satiety and pestilence after famine for such as turne the Sanctuary of life into the shambles of death O Lord it is thy unspeakeable mercy that our land which hath beene so long sicke of this drunken disease and so often surfitted of this sinne doth not spue us all out which are the inhabitants The Lord of most glorious Majesty and infinite purity sees all heares all knowes all and yet behold we live nay the Lord still causes Heaven Earth Sea Land all Creatures to waite upon us and bring us in all due provision nay he hath not long since abounded even in that blessing and graine which hath bene most abused to drunkennesse here is patience here is mercy here is bounty O that we could stay here and suffer our selves to lose our selves in the meditation and admiration of this wonderfullnesse But what 's the reason God will not punish the righteous with the wicked But Drun kards are reserved unto the great day Gen. 18.25 he knoweth how to deliver the godly and to reserve the wicked these brute beasts who walke after the flesh in the lusts of uncleannesse and count it pleasure to riot unto the great day to be punished 2 Peter 2.9.13 whose judgement is not farre off and whose damnation sleepeth not ver 3. For as surely as the word of God pronounceth many a woe unto them as woe to Drunkards saith Isaiah that are mighty to drinke wine and unto them that are strong to powre in stroâ—g drinke that continue drinking till the wine doth inflame them Woe saith Habakuk unto him that giveth his neighbour drinke till hee be drunken Woe saith Solomon to them that tarry long at the wine to them that goe and seeke mixt wine Woe to his body which is a temporall woe woe to his soule which is a spirituall woe woe to both body and soule which is an eternall woe howle ye Drunkards saith Ioel weepe yee saith St. Iames Isaiah 5.22 Habakuk 2.15 Ioel. 1.5 Iames 5.1.5 Yea which of Gods Servants hath not a woe in his mouth to throw at this sinne so every tittle of this word shall be accomplished God will one day hold the cup of vengance to their lips and bid them drinke their fills Yea The judgments of God spirituall temporall and eternall which in Scripture are threatned against Drunkards as Drunkards are Sathans eldest Sonnes so they shall have a double portion of vengance whereas riot in the forenoone hath beene merry in the afternoone drunke at night gone to bed starke mad in the morning of their resurrection it shall rise sober into everlasting sorrow they finde not the beginning and progresse so sweete as the farewell of it shall be bitter for as sure as God is in Heaven if they forsake not their swilling which they are no more able to doe then they are able to eate a rocke the Devill hath so besotted them they shall once pay deare for it even in a bed of unquenchable flames I speake not of the many temporall judgments which God brings upon them even in this life though to mention them alone were omni-sufficient if they thirsted not after their owne ruine as I could tell them from Levit. the 26. and Deut. the 28. that all curses threatned all temporall plagues and judgments which befall men in this life are inflicted upon them for sinne and disobedience But I speake of those torments which are both intollerable and interminable which can neither be indured nor avoided when once entred into If I say you persevere in this your brutish sensuallity and will needs Dives like drinke here without thirst you shall thirst hereafter without drinke yea though that fire be hot the thirst great and a drop of water be but a little yet in this hot fire and great thirst that little drop shall be denied you Luke 16. For know this that without repentance Paul will be found a true Prophet who saith that no Drunkard shall ever enter into the kingdome of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.9.10 And Isaiah no lesse who saith that Hell enlargeth it selfe for Drunkards and openeth her mouth without measure that all those may descend into it who follow drunkennesse and preferre the pleasing of their palats before the saving of their soules Isaiah 5.11.14 for as they shall be excluded and shut out of Heaven so they shall be for evermore damned body and soule in Hell Christ shall say unto them at the great day of accounts depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire which is prepared for the Devill and his Angells Math. 25.41 As they make their belly their god and their shame their glory so damnation shall bee their end Phil. 3.19 yea their end is a damnation without end it is heauy and miserable that their end is damnation but it is worse and more miserable that their damnation is without end wickednesse hath but a time but the punishment of wickednesse is beyond all time Neither is the extremity of the paine inferiour to the perpetuity of it for the paines and sufferings of the damned are ten thousand times more then can be immagined by any heart as deepe as the Sea and can be rather indured then expressed it is a death never to be painted to the life no pen nor pencill nor art nor heart can comprehend it Yea if all the land were paper and all the water inke every plant a pen and every other creature a ready writer yet they could not set downe the least peece of the great paines of Hell fire For should we first burne off one hand then another after that each arme and so all the parts of the body it were intollerable yet it is nothing to the burning of body and soule in Hell should we indure ten thousand yeares torments in Hell it were much but nothing to eternity should we suffer one paine it were enough but if we come there our paines shall be even for number and kindes infinitely various as our pleasures have bene here every sense and member every power and faculty both of soule and body
graine of grace is more worth then many pounds of naturall parts But learning and grace do not alwayes keepe company together yea oh Lord how many are there that have a depth of knowledge yet are not soule wise that have a library of Divinity in their heads and not so much as the least catechisme in their consciences No rare thing for men to abound in speculation and be barren in devotion to have full braines and empty hearts clear judgement and defiled affections fluent tongues but lame feet yea you shall heare a flood in the tongue when you cannot see one drop in the life But see how justly they are served they might bee holy and will not therefore though they would bee soule wise yet they shall not the scorner seeketh wisdome but findeth it not Pro. 14.6 Let them know never so much they are resolved to be never the better and they which are unwilling to obey God thinks unworthy to know § 51. NO wicked man is a wise man That no wicked man is a wise man for as God is the giver of wisdome so hee reveales himselfe savingly to none but his children the godly First God only is the giver of it For as no man can see the Sunne but by the light of the Sunne so no man doth know the secrets of God but by the revelation of God Mat. 16.16 17. to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven wee must have hearts eyes and eares sanctified from above Deut. 29.2 3 4. Ps 111.10 Luk. 24.45 Ioh. 15.15 Rom. 8.14.15 No learning nor experience will serve to know the riches of the glory of Gods inheritance in the Saints to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Eph. 1.17.18 and 3.19 for as meere sense is uncapeable of the rules of reason so reason is no lesse uncapeable of the things that are supernaturall Yea the true knowledge of the nature and state of the soule must come by his inspiration that gave the substance As the soule is the lamp of the body and reason of the soule and religion of reason and faith of religion so Christ is the light and life of faith 2. God reveales himselfe savingly to none but the godly and such as he knows will improve their knowledge to his glory even as husbandmen will not cast their seed but into fruitfull ground which will returne them a good harvest the secrets of the Lord saith David are revealed to them that feare him and his covenant is to give them understanding Psa 25.14 these secrets are hid from the wicked neither hath hee made any such covenant with them the faithfull are like Moses to whom God shewed himselfe Exod. 3. like Simeon that imbraced Christ in his armes Lu. 2.28 like Iohn the beloved Disciple that leaned on his bosome Ioh. 13.25 like the three Disciples that went with him up the mount to see his glory Matth. 17. like the Apostles whose understandings he opened Luk 24.45 and to whom hee expounded all things whereas to unbelievers he speakes all things as it were in Parables Mar. 4.34 see this in Abrahams example shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do saith God Gen. 18.17 As if this were an offence in God if he should tell the righteous no more then hee tells the wicked They which love God saith S. Iohn know God but they which have not this love know not God though they have never so much knowledge besides 1 Iohn 4.7 Yea suppose a man be not inferiour to Porcius who never forgat any thing he had once read to Pythagoras who kept all things in memory that ever hee heard or saw to Virgil of whom it is reported that if all Sciences were lost they might bee found in him to Bishop Tunstal whom Erasmus called a world of knowledge to A ristotle who was called wisdome it self in the abstract to that Romane Nasica who was called Corculum for his pregnancy of wit that Grecian Democritus Abderita who was also called wisdome it selfe that Britaine Guildas called Guildas the sage that Iew Aben Ezra of whom it was said that if knowledge had put out her candle at his braine shee might light it againe and that his head was a throne of wisdome or that Israelitish Achitophel whose words were held as Oracles to Iosophus Scaliger who was skil'd in thirty languages yet if he want faith holinesse the love of God and the Spirit of God to be his teacher he shall not be able really and by his owne experience to know th◠chiefe points of Christian religion suc◠as are Faith Repentance Regeneration◠the love of God the presence of the Spifrit the Remission of sins the effusion o◠grace the possession of heavenly comforts not what the peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost is nor what the communion of Saints means when every one of these are easie and familiar to the meanest and simplest believer Now will you know the reason the feare of the Lord saith Salomon is the beginning of wisdome Prov. 1.7 as if the first lesson to be wise were to be holy For as the water ingendereth yce and the yce againe ingendereth water so knowledge begets righteousnesse and righteousnesse again begetteth knowledge It is between science and conscience as it is betweene the stomack and the head for as in mans body the raw stomack maketh a rheumatick head and the rheumaticke head maketh a raw stomack so science makes our conscience good and conscience makes our science good It is not so much scientia capitis as conscientia cordis that knowes Christ and our selves whence Salomon saith give thine heart to wisdome Pro. 2.10 and let wisdome enter into thine heart Proverbs 4.4 Againe if it be ask'd why the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God S. Paul answers he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 and indeed if they be spiritually discerned how should they discerne them that have not the Spirit Now if it be so that men may bee exquisitely wise and incomparably learned in the worlds opinion and yet very fools in the judgement of heaven if not many wise men after the flesh are called but that a great number of them go the wrong way yea if God turnes their wisdome into foolishnesse that abuse their gifts and reveales himselfe savingly to none but such as feare and serve him then is their no safety in following their example or in building our faiths upon their judgements Indeed we are too prone to imitate the learned and to thinke we go safe enough if wee tread in their steps although they tread awry for say wee they know the will of God what hee requires and practise what they thinke will bring them to happinesse especially so much as is absolutely necessary to salvation and they do so and so or else they speake not as they think because they do not as they speake for none live worse then many of them But
considering how small hope there is of their amendment if any at all § 57. IT may be you have not noted it No dispossessing of a drunken Devill purpose the drunkard never so oft but it is a very difficult and hard thing to name one habituated infatuated incorrigible cauterised Drunkard that ever was reclamed with age What said an experienced Gentleman being informed that his Sonne was given to gaming whores prodigality c There is yet hope age experience and want of meanes will cure all these but when in the last place it was added that he was poysoned with drunkennesse then hee absolutely gave him for lost and dead his case for desperately forlorne and so disinherited him because this sinne hee knew increased with age and would not part till death A Gamester will hold out so long as his purse lasts an Adulterer so long as his loynes last but a drunkard so long as his lungs and life lasts What is noted by Philosophers of every motion namely that it is swiftest toward the Center may fitly bee applyed to every drunkard and covetous wretch for as good men grow better and better so these grow worse and worse Ier. 9.3 2 Tim. 3.13 they grow in sinne as worldlings grow in riches and honours O that we could grow so fast in grace Yea suppose the drunkard hath every day purposes to forsake his sinne as I have knowne some purpose and strive against this sinne yea so detest and bewaile it in himselfe and whomsoever that it hath been an Hazael in his eyes and thereupon indent with himselfe and his friends for the relinquishing of it and yet if he meete with a companion that holds but up his finger he followes him as a foole to the flockes and as an Oxe to the slaughter-house having no power to withstand the temptation but in hee goes with him to the tipling house and there hee continues as one bewitched or conjured with a spell out of which he returnes not till he hath emptied his purse of money his head of reason and his heart of al his former seeming grace so that in purposing he doth but imitate S. George who is alwayes on horseback but never rides or the Ostrich that hath winges but cannot fly he may make a shew of turning as the doore upon the hinges but never moves a foot from the post of his old custom and evill society unto which hee is fast revited and so mends as sower Ale doth in Summer or like a dead hedge which the longer it stands is the rottener O this is a difficult divel to be cast out for when a man is once possest with this evill spirit a drunken divell it is a miracle if ever hee become his owne man after This sinne is like a desperate plague that knows no cure it may be called the Kings evill of the soule as Chrysostome calls the envie of wicked men against the godly for it cannot bee cured with the Balme of Gilead nor by any Phisitian there untill God himselfe sayes to the heart awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead for by a long and desperate custome they turne delight and infirmity into necessity and bring upon themselves such an insatiable thirst that they will as willingly leave to live as leave their excessive drinking As it fares with some sicke Patients touching their bodies who think as good be buried as so much debarred of their appetites so fares it with these touching their soules for use what meanes you will to reclame them they will reject it What saith S. Basil shall we speake to drunkards wee had as good round a dead man in the eare yea certainly saith another he is drunk himselfe that prophanes reason so as to urge it to a drunken man in regard whereof S. Augustine compares drunkennesse to the pit of hell into which when a man is once fallen there is no redemption Whoring is a deep ditch yet some few shall a man see returne to lay hold on the wayes of life one of a thousand but scarce one drunkard often thousand Indeed S. Ambrose mentions one and another by a moderne Divine of ours is confest and but one a peece of all that ever they knew or heard of I speake of drunkards not of one drunken such who rarely and casually have Noah like beene surprised and overtaken at unawares but if once a custome ever a necessity Drunkennesse beastiates the heart and spoiles the braine overthrowes the faculties and organs of repentance and resolution It is a sinne of that nature that it hardens and makes up the heart against all repentings Yea the Holy Ghost by the Prophet Hosea tells us that it takes away the heart Hosea 4.11 And we find it too true for commonly it is accompanied wâ—th finall impenitence which is the greatest evill that is incident to man in this life in that it is a certaine forerunner of eternall condemnation yea it is much to bee feared Commoly such as a mans delights and cores are in health such are both his thoughts and speeches on his death-bed that the Lord hath done by them as by Ieremiah hee threatneth the Babylonians even given them over to a perpetuall drunkennesse Ier. 51.39 And is it not most just with God that hee who will put out his naturall light should have his spirituall extinguished he that will deprive himselfe of reason should loose also the guide and pylot of reason Gods Spirit and Grace he that will wittingly and willingly make himselfe an habitation of uncleane spirits should not dispossesse them at his owne pleasure that their deaths should bee answerable to their lives as commonly such as a mans delights and cares are in health such are both his thoughts and speeches on his death-bed Some that have beene used to swearing have dyed with oathes and curses in their mouthes Some persecutors have dyed raging blaspheming and despiting the Spirit of grace Some Usurers have died while in their conceit they were telling their money and casting it up after ten in the hundred Yea one being used to play at Tables all his life with great delight cried out upon his death-bed size-ace cater-trey c. I deny not but God may raise a Lazarus of this kind though he bee dead in excesse dead in sense yea though he be buried and stinkes againe thorow long custome in filthines and breath into his nosthrils againe the breath of life whereby he may become a living soule but rarely is it seene that he doth so § 58. NEither speak I of what God can do Were there any possibility of their leaving it they would abstaine in the heate of the plague for with him all things are possible but with men with drunkards it is in a manner impossible for surely if there were the least possibility of their leaving it if they were not altogether hardened past feeling and past grace then would they now abstaine whilst the plague is hot amongst us
they are amazed Whereas they should eate and drinke and doe all things to the glory of God they drinke to this end onely that they may the easier forget God forget him in his threats which sticke in their soules after some Sermon forget him in his judgments which have taken hold of some of their companions they drinke to the end they may drowne conscience and put off all thoughts of death and Hell and to hearten and harden themselves against all the messages of God and threats of the Law as that franticke Musition fell to tuning his Violl when his house was on fire about his eares For most men take no notice at all of the strokes of Gods wrath but with the mirth and madnesse of wine and pleasures take away the knowledge of it and the noyse of conscience when it cryes as the Sacrificers in the valley of Hinnon by the noyse of Instruments tooke away the cryes of their sacrificed children and so much the rather that others may not take notice thereof for though their consciences be often in paine yet they will not complaine that this shoe wrings them Their consciences would faine speake with them but they will by no meanes heare them whereas if they had wit and were not past grace they would both invite and welcome this Angell or messinger of the Lord so soone as the waters be troubled with sackcloth ashes fasting going into the house of mourning and pouring forth whole Buckets of water as is the manner of Gods people 1 Sam. 7.6 But many a time is poore Christ offering to be new borne in thee thrust into the Stable while lewd companions by their drinking playes and jests take up all the best roomes in the Inne of thine heart Indeed blind worldlings and besotted sinners may call it melancholy or what they will but in Gods Dictionary the holy Scriptures it hath no such name And they may thinke to drive it away with carnall delights but this will not doe it yea letten Consorts of musicke be added it shall not drowne the clamorous cryes of conscience These are but miserable comforters and Physitians of no value and no way a fit expiation for a griefe of this nature neither can the world afford an expurgation of this melancholy Alasse this is but like some spritly musicke which though it advanceth a mans mind while it sounds yet leaves him more melancholy when it is done as Euripides observes Yea I 'le appeale from your selves in drinke to your selves in your sober fits whether it fares not with you as it did with Menippus who went downe into Hell to seeke content for what is this other in mitigating the pangs of conscience then as a saddle of gold to a gal'd Horse or a draught of poyson to quench a mans thirst Alasse Let being expuls't Sodom dranke somewhat freely to drive away melancholy as we may conjecture but what came of it the wine made him commit incest whereby he became ten times more melancholy then he was before And surely they which strive to cure their present misery with present mirth have not their misery taken away but changed and of temporall made eternall thou hast taken thy pleasure saith Abraham to Dives therefore art thou now tormented Luke 16.25 I love no such change I love not to cure one evill by another yea by a worse mischiefe as Empiricks in curing one disease cause another which is worse And let them looke to it for surely if men call for pleasure to please the conscience as the Philistins did for Sampson to make them sport it will but pull downe the house upon their heads No sooner were the bellies of Adoniah's guests full of meat and their heads full of wine but their eares were full of clangor their hearts of horror the Trumpets at once proclame Salomon's Triumph and their confusion the feasts of the wicked end in terror as it fared with Belshazzar Daniel chap. 5. v. 1. to 7. after the meale is done ever comes the reckoning Wherefore let my spirit never come and enter into their Paradise yea ever abhor to partake of their brutish pleasures lest I partake of their endlesse woes And indeed who would buy repentance and misery so deare as Demosthenes answered Lais the harlot when she asked him ten thousand Drachmes of money for her company but one night who would pay so deare for so short a lease as the Country man replyed seeing the great preparation labour cost and study for a great triumph when they told him it was to last but an houre for could they have Nectar and Ambrosia to swallow yea could they drinke with Cleopatra the riches of Egypt at a draught and that upon free cost which as Diogines conceived did adde sweetnesse to the wine yet it is but a draught and quickly downe the throat Yea as vaine and comfortlesse are all worldly joyes when they are used to mitigate the panges of conscience as it was for Callico to stuff his pillow a brasse pot with straw to make it soft Indeed your charmes may with their pleasantnesse bring conscience into some short slumbers but it waketh eftsoones and in spite of all your spells rageth as before Yea if but sicknesse come these carnall delights will runne from you affrighted like Rats from a house on fire pleasure like Orpah kisses but parts only griefe like Ruth weeps and tarries with you no joy will downe till there be hope of a pardon so that no hand can heale you but the very same which wounded you the wounds of the mind can only be cured by the word of God which teacheth what may bee said what is to bee known what to bee believed what to bee avoyded yea and what not Thus instead of repenting and labouring in a lawfull calling which is the only cure of Melancholy Fulgentius aptly terming exercise the death of diseases the destruction of all vices and only cure of Melancholy they adde sinne to sinne leaving Gods remedies to seeke remedy of the divel whose office is not to quench fire but to kindle it even the fire of lust with the fire of drunkennesse here and with those two the fire of hell hereafter § 64. SEcondly 2. To drive away time they drinke that they may drive a way time for every houre seemes a day and every day a moneth to an idle person which is not spent in a Tap-house whereby with that Strumpet in the Proverbs Chap. 7. Vers 11. their feet can never abide in their owne howses for you shall seldome finde a drunkard at home when you need him but lay your plot to seeke him in a Taverne as whether next but to all the Tavernes in the Town or perhaps at a Play house for a Play-house or so onely keeps him sober and makes him an afternoone's man and it stands upon a good foundation Yea they seeme to have nailed their eares to the doores of a Taverne and to have agreed with Sathan Master it
any strength in the end they tyed Horses to him to draw him thence but they could not move him then they assayed to burne him but no fire would take hold on him wherefore perswading themselves that God had made him a spectacle standing president or fixed statua of his wrath and vengeance to all drunkards and all future ages they surceased their enterprises wishing the will of the Lord to be done and in this miserable and dolefull manner saith my Author Mr. Stubs in his Anatomy of Abuses he stands to this very day as a tragicall dreadfull and prodigious spectacle of Gods heauy displeasure wrath and vengeance against drunkards the very sight nay the very relation or thought of which should strike the hearts and soules of all who are devoted unto this sinne with terror and amazement The other drunken beast his companion who had escaped the immediate hand of God was by the just and avenging hand of the People hanged upon a Gibbet before the dore of the same house for an example unto others Now consider this all ye ryotous drunkards who forget God least he tare you in peeces and there be none to deliver § 79. BUt that it may appeare they are more zealous and charitable Not more forward to drinke healthes then zealous and carefull that others pledge the same then either to worship Sathan their god or goe to Hell their owne place alone and to prove that their hearts desire is that others also may be damned as St. Paul's was that Israel might be saved Rom. 10.1 they are not more forward in drinking healthes then they are carefull to see that others pledge them for a health being once begun they will looke to it precisely that every one present shall pledge the same in the same manner and measure be they thirsty or not thirsty willing or not willing able or unable for measuring other mens palates bellyes thirsts consciences constitutions and dispositions by their owne they will force them oftentimes to drinke against their wills their stomackes their healthes c. For tell them you are not a thirst which is all the answer I can vouchsafe such or that it will not agree with your constitution they will conclude you an arrant foole and ill bred Yea in their judgements Ahasuerus was none of the wisest in appointing that none should compell another to drinke Or tell them that the Goths ordained upon pain of death how none should drink an health to another nor be forced further then their owne free wills induced them O this was the basest law that ever was enacted and yet wise Plato decreed for the avoiding of excesse that no one should so much as drink to another and the Spartans law was Vt bibat arbitrio pocula quisque suo Let each mans measure of drinke bee his pleasure § 80. THeir manner is 1 How they will intise either to Intise or Enforce others to pledge them First to intise and perswade them as let but a sober and religious man fall into their company as a purse of money may fal into a stinking Privie O how they will conspire to provoke his unwilling appetite with drunken healths and if they can like that Babylonish Harlot make him tast poyson in a golden cup O then they will sing and rejoyce as in the division of a spoyle and bragg that they have drenched sobriety and blinded the light and ever after bee a snuffing of this Taper Psal 13.4 Or if they cannot perswade him 2 How they wil inforce they will hate and revile him perhaps stab him that will not pledge their healths as if it were an offence not to bee forgiven for now it is counted an injury not worthy alone of ill words but also of wounds and stabbs if a man will not for company grievously sin against God wrong his own body destroy his soule and wilfully leâ—p into hel fire yea they wil hate a man more for refusing or crossing their healths then for abjuring his faith his religion or his God and are more hot more zealous stoute and resolute in the defence or maintainance of a health then in the cause or quarrel of their Countrey and will rather adventure their blood in the field upon the refusal of or quarrell about them then for the chiefest article of their creed whence it is they are so much moved and affected that they are mighty impatient and angry with such as crosse them in this kinde but nothing so with others who hinder them in Gods service or thwart them in their greatest good § 81. THat they 'le hate revile and stab him who refuseth to pledge their healthes How impatient of deniall needs no other proofe then experience as how many have lost their lives because they would not be drunke though some others Vriah-like have lost theirs when they have yeelded to be drunke Neither is this in use here onely but in other countries the same It was a great mercy of God that I had not my braines knockt out in the Low-countries for not drinking a great mans healthe and losing mine owne In the Dukedome of Massovia it is no more amongst health quaffers but either drinke to me or fight with me hence grow those many murthers stabs wounds without cause as Salomon speakes quarrels fightings contentions and debates which we usually heare of both at home and abroad Now what 's the reason of all but this long custome Their misprision of honour and reputation and the pravity and wickednesse of men hath made it a kinde of affront indignity discourtesie and wrong both to him that begins the health to those that second it and to the person that is remembred in it to refuse or passe it by and not to pledge it as St. Austin Ambrose Ierom c. testifie besides our own experience And many men thinke they cannot doe their absent friends a greater honour yea their friends also take it for an high honour But O the stupidity both of the one and the other for can this be any honour or credit unto any to be thus dishonoured of every infamous and beastly drunkard of every pot-companion Tunne or Hogshead to be the dayly phrase the Theame the Rhetoricke of every ebrious and luxurious sot the occasion cause and patronage of drunkennesse and excesse yea what Christian would not scorne to have their healthes their names their place and persons made a common Prologue or praeludium an ordinary bawd or pandor an usuall in let way or passage to drunkennesse and excesse a common shoe-horne baite or engine to force or draw men on to drinke beyond all measure a dayly patronage plea or sanctuary to justifie and beare out or else a frequent but unjust apology or excuse to extenuate salve or mitigate the excesse of sinne and infamous wicked base and swinish men It was a noble answer of a great Prince Doe not drinke my health but pray for it and a wise reply of
would require the spirit of discerning He is such a pleasing murtherer that he tickles a man to death and makes him like Salomon's foole dye laughing O how many are there that hate their other enemies yea and their friends too and yet embrace this enemy because he kisseth when he betrayeth and indeed what fence for the Pistoll that is charged with the Bullet of friendship Hilary compares it to a Razor in the hand of a counterfeit Barber as when Vriah was set in the forefront of the battell and honour pretended murther was meant Which is the sole cause that drunkards so swarme in every corner of the land as where shall a man come and not finde one of these seducers § 85. INdeed How drun kards fwarme in every corner heretofore they were as rare as Wolves but now they are as common as Hogs heretofore it was the sinne of Tinkers Ostlers Beggers c. now of Farmers Citicens Esquires Knights c. heretofore S. Pauls speech was currant they that are drunken are drunken in the night now they feare not the light the Sunne-shine no they make no difference of nights or dayes except this that drunkennesse most rages on the Lords day heretofore S. Peters argument was more then probable these are not drunk for it is but the third houre of the day now men are growne such husbands as by that time they will returne their stockes and have their braines crowing before day or at least if you will finde many men sober you must take them in their beds for they rise up earely to follow drunkennes formerly men were so unacquainted with insatiate drinking that the divell himself was called Robin good-fellow now a man is hated as bad as the devill if hee refuse to bee a good fellow id est a drunkard There was a Streete in Rome called Vicus Sobrius Sober-street because there was never a drinking house in it finde such a Street in any City or populous Town in England and some good man or other will put it in the Chronicle yea if England plies her liquor so fast as she begins Germany is like to loose her Charter for drunkennesse and the French disease are upon termes of quitting their Countries aleagiance and to be made free denisons of England nay have they not already given up the bucklers to the English who as in fashions so in vices will needs bee the Ape of every Nation It is a disease whereof this Nation and generation is sicke at the very heart Yea woe is me how is the world turned beast what bowsing and quaffing and whiffing and healthing is there on every bench and what reeling and staggering in our Streets what drinking by the yard the Dye the dozen what forcing of pledges what quarrells for measure and forme how is that become an excuse of villany which any villany might rather excuse I was drunk How hath this torrent yea this deluge of excesse in drinke drowned the face of the earth and risen many Cubits above the highest mountains of religion and good lawes Yea would to God I might not say with a Reverend Prelate of ours that which I feare and shame and grieve to say S. Hall that even some of them which square the Arke for others would not inwardly drowne themselves and discover their nakednesse hereby That other inundation scowred the world this impures it and what but a deluge of fire and brimstone can wash it from so abominable filthinesse O the drunkennesse that is in one day in this Land yea in this City yea at some Fayre or Market to bee seene For goe but to the Towns end where a Fayre is kept and there they lye as if some field had been fought herelyes one man there another yea alasse for woe a woman nay a swine with a womans face or goe into the backe-Lanes and there you have them among Frogs and Toades their fit matches And in all probability this infectious vice of drunken good-fellowship is like to stick by this Nation for so long as the multitude of offenders benumes the sense of offending a common blot is held no staine Drunkennesse is as odious with us as Adultery is in that State wherein no body is chast § 86. BUt to goe on though I dare not shew all their slights they have to draw men on least in reproving Drunkards like Iulian who never did a man a good turn but it was to damn his soule I become a teacher as it fared with another in the like case A drunkard for kindnesse is another Iulian who was oftentimes bountifull but how he never did a man a good turne but it was to damne his soule hee so confirmes the profession of his love with vowes protestations and promises as a large complement for the most part ushers in a close craft that you would thinke Ionathan's love to David was nothing in comparison as no faces look lovelier then the painted But accept of gain from him and you are lost for ever for with Sisera you can no sooner tast of this Iael's milk but you shall feele a nayle in your Temples so that the wickednesse of a man which feareth God is better then the good entreaty of a drunkard his proffers are like the Fowlers shrape when he casts meat to birds which is not out of charity to relieve but out of treachery to ensnare them they lay waite saith Ieremy as he that setteth snares and make a pit to catch men Ieremiah 5.26 or like Traps wee set for vermin seeming charitable when they intend to kill and thou mayest answer these cursed tempters which delight in the murther of soules as the woman of Endor did Saul wherefore seekest thou to take me in a snare to cause me to dye 1 Sam. 28.9 Hee and the Usurer loves alike for their charity is no better than cruelty if they reach you bread with one hand be sure there is a stone in the other to do you a mischiefe for under the tast of Nectar hee will poyson you with the water of Styx he is another Absalom who made a feast for Amnon whom hee meant to kill like some prurient lecher who provides a rich banquet for one whom he meanes to corrupt and defloure or like the Ivie that by embraceing the tree sucks out the heart of it and ther is no subtilty like that which deceives a man He whom the Lord loves shall be deliveeed from their meretricious allurements and hath thankes for the labour for as our Saviour saith blessed is the man that is not offended at their scoffes Matth. 11.6 so blessed is the man that is not taken with their wiles for herein alone consists the difference hee whom the Lord loves shall bee delivered from their meritricious allurements Eccles 7.26 and he whom the Lord abhors shall fall into their snares Prov. 22.14 § 87. NOw if they cannot seduce us they wil envie and hate us First they will envie us If
unto them both here in respect of our consciences and hereafter in respect of our soules As I have read of a Christian that to save his life turned Turke but this could not save him for they presently in derision hanged him up vvith these vvords Morieris in fide Turca hovvever thou livest thou shalt dye a Turke § 102. ANd so you have the drunkards heart and tongue delineated 2. There malice and envie would breake out at their hands if they were not manacled by the Law and therein vvhat they doe to us in case vve vvill not runne with them to the same excesse of ryot Novv see vvith the like patience vvhat they vvould doe in case the Lavv restrained them not and hovv the malice and envie of their hearts would break forth at their hands for having done all this and not finding the issue to answer their expectation viz. that they cannot discourage us but that we still perfevere and hold out in our peremptory course of well doing and will not reconcile our selves unto them nor the world doe they what they can they would proceed further if they durst and might bee allowed by the Law as First they would combine together and lay divellish plots to destroy us First they would combine themselves together and cunningly undermine us 1 Samuel 18.17.21.25 Ieremiah 18.18 Acts 6.9.10 yea lay divellish plots to destroy us Daniel 6. Exodus 1.9.10 Psalme 83.3 4 5. Acts 4.26 27. and 19. Chap. and 23.10 14. Secondly 2 They would deliver us up unto the Magistrat they would deliver us up and falsely accuse us to the Magistrates 1 Sam. 22.9.10 and 23.19.20 and 26. 1. Acts 6.8 to 15. and 24.13 Thirdly 3 Give devilish counsell against us cause us to be imprisoned they would perswade and give devilish counsell to them against us Rev. 2.14 Ier. 38.4 Act. 17.13 and never leave untill they had in the fourth place shut us up in Prison 1 Kings 22.27 Ier. 36.5 and 15.10 Luk. 21.12 Acts 5.18 and 12.4 and 4.3 and 22.25 and 28.17 2 Cor. 11.23 and in case we would not yet yeeld to associate them in evill doing nor conforme to their lewd and wicked customes then would they give us bodily correction as First 4 strike us they would strike us 1 Kings 22.24 Ier. 20.2 and 37.15 Acts 23.2 2 Cor. 11.23.24.25 Secondly 5 hurt and maime us they would hurt and mayme us Numb 14.10 Iudges 16.21 Acts 14.19 Thirdly Lastly drunkards would kill us for being forefractory if all this would not doe in the last place these drunkards and vicious livers would kill us for being so refractory they would make us either bow or breake they would kill our bodies if they could not corrupt our soules if we would not part with our innocency we should part with our lives as it fared with the three children that were put into the fiery furnace because they would not worship the golden Image as others did Dan 3. and all the Prophets of the Lord whom Iezabel slew because she could not bring them to her owne bow 1 King 18.4 and those numberlesse Martyrs whose soules St. Iohn saw under the Altar Rev. 6. which were killed because they would not doe and say as the rest yea even for the word of God and for the testimony which they maintained ve 9. And why fares it not so with us why doe not the same drunkards vicious liveers and other enemies of holinesse which now enuy hate censure scoffe at nicke-name raile on and slander us even strike maime and kill us but because their hands are tyed by the Law I dare say it fares with many of them because they cannot have their wills as it did with Achilles who is feigned to eate his owne heart because he might not be suffered to fight Why are not our Sanctuaries turned into Shambles and our beds made to swim with our bloods long before this but that the God of Israel hath crossed the confederacy of Balack It is no thank to wicked men that their wickednesse doth not prosper the world would soone be over-runne with evills if men might be so ill as they would Alasse if our Gracious King and State did not maintaine true Religion and countenance the same it would be otherwise then it is with the people of God as the Word of God and former experience witnesseth § 103. 1 First The same prooved by Scripture the word of God witnesseth the same as looke but Rev. 13. and you shall find it foretold by the Holy-Ghost that so many should be killed as would not worship and give honour to the Image of the Beast that man of sin that man of pride that opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called god or that is worshipped 2 Thes 2.4 and our Saviour foretelleth that we shall not onely be hated of all men and Nations for his names sake but be killed and put to death Mat. 24.9 Yea he affirmeth expressely that we should not onely receive this hard measure from strangers and enemies onely but from our deerest and neerest friends that the Brother should betray the Brother to death the Father the Sonne and that children should rise up against their Parents and cause them to dye even for his names sake Math. 10.21.22 meaning when they are not restrained by godly Kings and their wholesome Lawes Neither doe we want examples to make good these testimonies for by whom was upright Abel persecuted and flaine but by his owne Brother Caine Who scoffed at righteous Noah but his owne Sonne Cham By whom was that vertuous and religious Lady Barbara put to death for embracing the Christian faith but by her owne Father Dioscorus And lastly by whom was our Saviour Christ betrayed but by his owne Disciple Iudas 2 But to goe on experience 2 By experience of former ages as well as the Scripture proves it In the time of the tenne persecutions it was no more then sacrifice or dye In the time of Queene Mary the Martyrs must either deny their faith disclaime their pure Religion and service of God worship that bloody whore of Rome according to her damnable traditions or be chained to a stake and burnt either part with their faithes or part with their lives if they would not obey them rather then God they had a Law by which men ought to dye Yea at this present although we blessed be God and our Gracious Protector for it endure little but the lash of evill tongues which is the most favourable persecution yet in Spaine and other places our brethren doe groane under a mercilesse Inquisition Oh the quintessence of cruelty that they have wrung out unto them the rehearsall whereof would make a mans eares to tingle and his heart to tremble For as in the time of the ten persecutions it would cost a man his life to professe himselfe a Christian the Heathen Emperors making it death by their Edicts and as
Sathan and Christ and their regiments the wicked and the godly a perpetual war enmity and strife according to the Lords prediction or proclamation for there is scarce a Page in the Bible which doth not either expresse or imply somewhat touching this warre yea as if the Scriptures contained nothing else the Holy-Ghost significantly calls them the booke of the battells of the Lord Numb 21.14 as Rupertus well observes But because it would take up much roome and none except they are blind will question the same I will wave that Saran is not a Captaine of forties nor of fifties nor of sixties nor of hundreds but he is Generall over all which fight not under Christ's Banner which is but a little flocke It 's true every Christian in his Baptisme hath taken presse-money of Christ to be his Souldier and to serve him in the Field of this world against his and our enemies yea I confesse amongst us Christians Christ is the subject of all tongues O that he were the object of all hearts but whereas the Schoole disputes of him the Pulpit preaches of him Hypocrites talke of him time-servers make use of him Politicians pretend him prophane men sweare by him millions professe him few love him few serve him few care to honour him godly men even amongst us Christians are like timber trees in a wood here one and there one Yea it is to be feared that as once in Israel a thousand followed Baâ—l for one that followed God so now many serve the world and the flesh and the Devill for one that truely serves God in sincerity truth and holinesse Now as when Abimeleck raigned downe went Gideon's children so where wicked men beare sway and sin raignes downe goes Christ's friends and the fruits of faith And when hath the visible Church kept her owne so well but it might truely be said not as the women of Saul and David Saul hath slaine his thousand and David his tenne thousand but Sathan by himselfe and his Host hath slaine more then his hundred thousand Yea of these drunkards who have taken the Devills oath of allegiance he is a very meane souldier that hath not won some from Christs Standard as amongst the Hungarians he is not held worthy to weare a weapon nor reputed a brave gentleman who hath not kil'd a Turke Yea some there are that have wonne more men from him then they have beene weekes at their owne dispose as Cato Censorius boasted he had taken more townes in Spaine then he had beene dayes in the country Nay hath not the Devill made as good use of some famous drunkard as Sampson did of that Jaw-bone of an Asse Iudg. 15. wherewith he slew a thousand men § 113. NOw wherein doe they overcome They would have our company in torments and what is it these spirituall Kings and their Regiments chiefely fight for for having made cleare way I come now at length to prove the second part of my former proposition namely that their utmost aime and end whether they seeke to intise or enforce us to sinne with them is that they may have our company hereafter in the burning lake but to win soules each from other and what thinke you doe drunkards the seede of the Serpent and children of the Devill more delight in then the murther of soules and why doe they so subtilly perswade and so violently enforce us to sinne with them but that they may pluck us out of Christs fould and bring us into the same place of torment whether they are going This is the very end and purpose of all their warring against the seede of the woman No thing but â—â—our soul ewill Isatisfi the berpent and is seede For as nothing but the dishonour and rape of Tamer could please Amnon and nothing but the blood of Amnon could satisfie Absalom and nothing but the heart of Absalom could content Ioab and nothing but the death of Ioab could pacifie Salomon so nothing but our soules will satisfie the Serpent and his seede This is the very Pricke White and Butt whereat they shoote all their Arrowes and lay their levell If any shall say this word is too big for my mouth I wish them first heare and then determine The Devill by these as through so many Bowes shootes a deadly Arrowe at thy soule as Lycian Pandorus did at Menelaus the Grecian but God like Pallas turneth by the Shaft and makes it hit upon thy body goods or good name as that upon the buckler of his girdle Why thinke you are all their frownes and frumps and censures and scoffes Why so many slanders and stigmaticall nick-names raised and cast upon the Religious why are they the alone object of their scorne and derision but that they may flout them out of their faith dampe or quench the spirit where they perceive it is kendled but that they may baffle them out and make them ashamed of their holy profession and religious course and consequently pull them back to the world Why did the Heathen Emperours so violently oppose and so cruelly persecute the Christians but to make them become Heathens too Why did Bonner and Gardiner with the rest of that crew in the time of Queene Mary burne at the stake all that truely profest the purity of Religion but to winne them from Christ Why did St. Paul before his conversion breath out threatnings and slaughters against the Disciples why did he persecute them even to strang cities shut up in Prison and punish them throughout all the Synagogues but that he might make them renounce Christ and his religion and compell them to blaspheme as himselfe confesseth Acts 26.10.11 Why did the high Priests so consult and contrive about putting Lazarus to death after he was raised and Christ also that raised him but because for his sake many of the Iewes went away and beleeved in Iesus as the Holy-Ghost affirmes Iohn 12.10.11 see also Chap. 11.48 Lastly if there were not many men so cursedly wretched as to delight in the murther of sonles what should holy David so much and in so many places use these and the like expressions They have laid waite for my soule Psa 59.2.3 They rewarded me evill for good to have spoyled my soule Psal 35.12 Mine enemies the wicked compasse me round about for my soule Psa 17.9 They gather themselves together and lay waite for my soule Psalme 56.6 and many the like which was not more his case then it is ours for all their ayme when they either tempt or afflict us is that they may make us square our lives according to their rule as that Gyant did proportion the bodies of all his guests to the bed of his Harlot either by stretching out if they wanted in length or cutting off if they did exceed and consequently draw us to perdition They rather wish all damned with themselves then any to bee freed from their owne Prison and as in the blessed there is perfect charity so in the damned
there is perfect envie neither the good would be saved nor the wicked would be damned alone wherefore they seeke to winne all they can § 114. WHen once a man is got out of the snare of the Divell he will doe what he can Good men draw all they can io heaven wicked all they can to bell to pluck others after him As by his sinnes and bad example hee hath drawn others from God so now he will all hee can draw others with himselfe to God Saul converted will build up as fast as ever he plucked downe and preach as zealously as ever he persecuted But take a view of each case in severall persons and first of the godly We read that Noah and Lot hazarded their own peace and safety such was their charity to preserve theirs that afflicted them they did admonish others like Prophets and advise them like Fathers but both in vaine these holy men seemed to them as one that mocked and they did more then seeme to mocke them againe We read likewise how Andrew was no sooner converted and become Christ's Disciple but instantly hee seeketh out his brother Simon to gaine him also to the same faith Iohn 1.41 And of Philip that he did the like to Nathaniel verse 45. And of the woman of Samaria that she did the like to many of her neighbours Iohn 4.28 to 41. And of the twelve Apostles that so soone as they were endued with the Holy Ghost they spread the Gospell throughout the whole world and with so good successe that wee reade of three thousand soules converted by one of them at one time namely by Peter so well did he obey Christ's command who said unto him when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Luk. 22.32 Yea Moses so thirsted after the salvation of Israel that rather then hee would bee saved without them hee desired the Lord to blot him out of the Booke of Life Exodus 32.32 and Paul to this purpose saith I could wish my selfe to be separated from Christ for my brethren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh meaning the Iewes Rom. 9.3 Their charity and spirituall thirst after salvation was much like the naturall thirst of Alexander who being with his troopes in the Field and in extremity of thirst when one presentted him an Helmet of water he refused it saying si solus bibero hos maeror occupabit or that of Rodolphus the Emperour who in his warres against Octocarus King of Bohemia being offered drink by a rusticke that attended his harnesse when both he and his whole Army were ready to perish with thirst refused it saying that his thirst was for all his Army and not alone for himselfe There is a greate dearth of reason and charity in that man who would bee happy alone much more doe they desire the blessednesse of others that are of the communion of Saints all heavenly hearts are charitable and it is a great presumption that hee will never finde the way to heaven who desires to go thither single yea a desire to win others is an inseparable adjunct or relative to grace for it is impossible that a man should be converted but having got himselfe out of Sathans clutches he will seeke to draw others after him yea where the heart is thankfull and inflamed with the love of God and our neighbour this shall be the principall aime as that vertuous Lady which Camden speakes of having beene a Leper her selfe bestowed the greatest part of her portion to build an Hospitall for other Lepers Neither can enlightened soules choose but disperse their rayes we are no whit thankfull for our owne illumination if we doe not looke with charity and pity upon the grosse misse-opinions and misprisions of our brethren It is a duty commanded by God Iud. 22.23 2 Tim. 2.25.26 Heb. 3.13 And every good mans meat and drink is to doe the will of him that sent him and though he cannot do what he would yet he will labour to do what he can to win others not to deserve by it but to expresse his thanks § 115. ANd as Gods people would not bee saved alone but winne all they can They shall answer for soule-murther knowing society no small part of the very joyes of heaven no more would wicked men be damned alone but mislead all they can thinking it some ease and comfort in misery to have companions As for example What made the Scribes and Pharisies compasse Sea and Land to make one of their profession but that they might make him twofold more the child of hell then themselves as our Saviour expresly witnesseth Matth. 23.15 Yea they shut up the kingdome of heaven so farre forth as they could and would neither goe in themselves nor suffer others that would have entred to come in v. 13. And what else but this love of community made Baalam being a cursed reprobate himselfe so willing first to curse all Israel and after when that would not fadge to give such divellish counsell against them Numb Reve. 2.14 22. Or what is the reason thinke you of all their practises against the just now of their tempting them and attempting what they can against them but this they would discourage us in the way to heaven beat us off from our holy profession or being religious and draw us backe to the world that so they might have our company here in sinne and hereafter in torment as if this were not to carry brimstone to their own fire and to make their own bed in hell And let such know that how many Novices or Apprentises of Religion soever have beene beaten off by meanes of their scoffs slanders reproaches or other their malicious practises against the godly how many soever they have forestalled with prejudice against the religious by making their savour to stinke before their neighbours and acquaintance through their lies and forgeries so putting a sword into their hand to slay them as the children of Israel unjustly charged Moses and Aaron touching Pharaoh and his servants Ex. 5.21 or how many soever are drawn to do and commit the like sinnes by their example even so many of Christs band they have as much as in them lyeth diminished and shall one day be arraigned and condemned not only for high treason against our Soveraign Lord Christ but also for slaying so many soules with death eternall which sin having a reward of torment answerable as I shall shew anon must of necessity bring upon them more then double damnation Wherefore let them more wisely then Dives looke to it in time take heed of powring water upon the fire of the Spirit which had more need of kendling then of quenching and beating down the weake hands and knees which should rather bee lifted up for God and against Sathan And thus you see that drunkards and all wicked men whose meat and drink it is to doe the will of their Father ayme at our eternall ruine as the divell did at the
Chr. 25.16.20 O remember that there is a day of account A description of the lost judgement and of hell a day of death a day of judgement comming wherein the Lord Iesus Christ shall bee revealed from heaven with his mighty Angells in flaming fire to render vengeance unto them which obey not unto his Gospell and to punish them with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. Iude 15. Wisdome 5.1 to 10. at which time thou shalt heare him pronounce this fearefull doome Depart from me ye cursed Matth. 25.41 which is an everlasting departure not for a day nor for yeares of dayes nor for millions of yeares but for eternity and that from Christ to the damned to the divells to hell without either end or ease or patience to endure it at which time within thee shall bee thine owne guilty conscience more then a thousand witnesses to accuse thee the Divell who now tempts thee to all thy wickednesse shall on the one side testifie with thy conscience against thee and on the other side shall stand the holy Saints and Angels approving Christ's justice and detesting so filthy a creature behinde thee an hidious noyse of innumerable fellow damned reprobates tarrying for thy company before thee all the world burning in a flaming fire aboue thee that irefull â—â—dge of deserved vengeance ready to pronounce the same sentence upon thee beneath thee the fiery and sulphureous mouth of the bottomlesse pit gaping to receive thee into which being cast thou shalt ever bee falling downe and never meet a bottome and in it thou shalt ever lament and none shall pitie thee for thou shalt have no society but the Divell and his Angells who being tormented themselves shall have no other ease but to wreak their fury in tormenting thee thou shalt alwayes weep for paine of the fire and yet gnash thy teeth in indignation for the extremity of cold thou shalt weep to think that thy miseries are past remedy to think that to repent is to no purpose thou shalt weep to thinke how for the shadow of a few short pleasures if they could bee called pleasures thou hast incurred these sorrowes of eternall paines which shall last to all eternity thy conscience shall ever sting thee like an Adder when thou thinkest how often Christ by his Preachers offered thee remission of sinnes and the Kingdome of Heaven freely if thou wouldest but believe and repent and how easily thou mightest have obtained mercy in those dayes how neere thou wast many times to have repented and yet diddest suffer the divell and the world to keep thee still impenitent and how the day of mercy is now past and will never dawne againe for thou shalt one day finde that conscience is more then a thousand witnesses and God more then a thousand consciences § 120. IF you will not believe mee yet at least believe Pharaoh The same further amplified who in the rich mans scalding torments hath a Discite a me learne of me he can testifie out of wofull experience that if wee will not take warning by the word that gentle warner the next shall be harder the third and fourth harder then that yea as al the ten plagues did exceede one another so the eleventh single exceeds them all together innumerable are the curses of God against sinners but the last is the worst comprehending and transcending al the rest the fearefullest plagues God still reserves for the upshot all the former doe but make way for the last When the Dreame and the Miracle and the Prophet had done what they could upon Nebuchadnezzar God calls forth his temporall judgements and bids them see what they can doe if they will not yet serve he hath eternal ones which will make them repent every veine of their hearts and soules that they did not repent sooner Oh that I could give you but a glimpse of it that you did but see it to the end you might never feele it that so you might be won if not out of faith yet out of feare for certainly this were the hopefullest meanes of prevention for though diverse theeves have robd passengers within sight of the Gallowes yet if a sinner could see but one glimpse of hell or bee suffered to looke one moment into that fiery Lake hee would rather choose to dye tenne thousand deaths then commit one sinne and indeed therefore are wee dissolute because we doe not thinke what a judgement there is after our dissolution because wee make it the least and last thing we thinke on yea it is death wee think to thinke upon death and we cannot indure that dolefull bell which summons us to judgement Something you have heard of it here and in Section the 44. But alasse I may as well with a Cole paint out the Sunne in all his splendor as with my pen or tongue expresse the joyes of Heaven which they willingly part withall or those torments of hell which they strive to purchase For as one said that nothing but the eloquence of Tully could sufficiently set forth Tullie's eloquence so none can expresse those everlasting torments but hee that is from everlasting to everlasting and should either man or Angell goe about the worke when with that Philosopher hee had taken a seven-nights time to consider of it hee might aske a fortnight more and at the fortnights end a moneth more and be at his wits end at the worlds end before he could make a satisfiing answer otherthen his was that the longer he thought of it the more difficult he found it alasse the paine of the body is but the body of paine the anguish of the soule is the soule of anguish § 121. BUt to be everlastingly in Hell to lye for ever in a bed of quenchles flames is not all Drunkards shal have a double portion of vengeance to other men for as thy sinnes have exceeded so shall thy sufferings exceed as thou hast had a double portion of sinne to other men here so thou shalt have a double portion of torment to them hereafter the number and measure of torments shall be according to the multitude and magnitude of offences mighty sinners shall be mightily punished for God will reward every man according to his workes Revel 20.12.13 and 22.12 As our workes are better or worse so shall our joyes in heaven our paines in hell bee more or lesse as every one hath beene more wicked he shall bee more wretched Capernaum exceeding Sodome and Gomorrah in sin shall feele also an excesse of punishment and the willfull servant shall receive more stripes then the ignorant Luk. 12.47.48 Mat. 10.15 which being so viz. that every man shall be punished according to merit what will become of thee surely thy sins are so prodigious that they scorne any proportion under a whole volume of plagues But see wherein thy sinnes exceed other mens The drunkards sinns aggravated by
for example It is a fearefull thing to omit good more fearefull to commit evill as I have shewed but worse to delight in sinne worse then that to defend it but worse then worst to boast of it which is an usuall thing with thee Or thus hee doth bad enough that sins through infirmity being led captive against his will to doe foule crimes but thou doest incomparably worse who sinnest presumtuously and of set purpose yea of obstinate and resolved malice against God and his image as I shall in due place prove sining not only without all shame but not without malice insomuch that it is thy least ill to doe evill for behold thou speakest for it joyest in it boastest of it enforcest to it mockest them that dislike it as if thou wouldest send challenges into heaven and make love to destruction Fourthly 4. His sias are so open and scandalous that the Gospel is dishonoured and God blasphemed thy sinnes exceed and weigh downe other mens that shall goe to the same place of torment because they are so open and scandalous for he that sinnes publickely to the dishonour of God and religion is a greater offender then if hee did the same at home and in private Sinne that is done abroad ceaseth to be single for it is many sinnes in one and that in a double respect it stumbles others it infects others First it stumbles others and this doth much to increase it It did wonderfully aggravate David's sin that it caused the enemies of God to blaspheme and made the sinne of Elie's sons whose scandalous lives made men abhorre the offerings of the Lord so heynous that God even swore unto Ely that the wickednesse of his house should not bee purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever 1 Sam. 3.14 O the difference between thy practise and what it ought to be Christians ought to be blameles pure and without rebuke yea to shine as lights to other men in the middest of a naughty and crooked nation Phil. 2.15 whereas thou by thy deboyshed life and abominable licenciousnes doest scandalize the Gospell and true religion yea make it odious to Turkes and Infidels according to that of the Apostle Rom. 2.24 Secondly it infects others in which regard saith Isiodore It is a greater offence to sinne openly then secretly for he is doubly faulty who both doeth and teacheth the same To sinne before the face of God is to dishonour him but withall to sinne before the face of men whereby others are taught and incouraged to doe the like is doubly to dishonour him An exemplary offender is like a malicious man sicke of the plague that runs into the throng to disperse his infection whose mischiefe outweighes all penalty Many an Israelite committed fornication and yet upon repentance got pardon but Zimry that would doe it impudently in the face of God and man was sure to perish § 124. FIftly 5 He commits many sins one in the â—â—ck of another and multiplies the same sins often this aggravates thy guilt exceedingly in that thou addest sinne to sinn as first thou committest drunkennesse and then in the necke of that thou blasphemest God slanderest thy neighbour seducest thy friend committest adultery murther c. as thou best knowest the wickednesse whereunto thy heart is privie when for a lesse matter then one of these that worldling forfeited his soule Luk. 12.20 Againe thou aggravatest thy guilt by multiplying of sinne that is by falling often into the same wickednesse and hereby Sathan makes sure worke for though the Devill be the father lust the mother consent the midwife sinne the child and death the portion yet all is like to miscarry if custome become not an indulgent nurse to breede up the same till it come to an habit Sathan first twines certaine small threads together of seeming profit pleasure c. and so makes a little cord of vanity therewith to draw us unto him and afterwards composeth of such lesser cords twisted together that cart-rope or cable custome of iniquity and therewith he seekes to bind men fast unto him for starting for when sinne by custome and long practice is growne to an habit this is sinne in perfection or the perfection of sinne because custome in sinne brings hardnesse of heart hardnesse of heart impenitency and impenitency damnation Yet this by the way is to be noted and remembred that men of yeares liveing in the Church are not simply condemned for their particular sinnes but for their continuance and residence in them sinnes committed make men worthy of damnation but liveing and abiding in them without repentance is that which brings damnation upon them such as live within the precincts of the Church shall be condemned for the very want of true faith and repentance § 125. SIxthly 6 He sins against mercy the abuadance of meanes and the many warnings which others never bad thy judgment shall not onely be increased according to thy sinnes but God will therefore adjudge thee to so much the sorer and severer condemnation by how much thy meanes of repentance hath beene greater If I had not come and spoken unto them saith our Saviour they should not have had sinne but now have they no cloake for their sinne Iohn 15.22 Ordinary disobedience in the time of grace and wilfull neglect of Gods call in the abundance of meanes is a great deale more damnable then the commission of sinne in the dayes of ignorance and blindnesse when the like meanes are wanting Those Gentiles the Ninivites were more righteous then the Iewes in that they repented at the voice of one Prophet yea and that with one Sermon whereas the Iewes refused and resisted all the Prophets which God sent among them but the Iewes who resisted our Saviour Christ's doctrine and put him to death were more righteous then such as amongst us are scoffers at Religion and Antipodes to the power of grace they were never convinced that he was the Messias sent from God to redeeme the world as all or almost all are that call themselves Christians because they professe themselves members of Christ and Protestants in token that they are ready to protest against and resist all such as are professed enemies to and opposers of Christs Gospell As for the Heathen Philosophers who knew not God in Christ they are more righteous then wicked Christians beyond compare for they beleeved as Pagans but lived as Christians wheras such beleeve as Christians but live like Pagans yea many of them would have beene ashamed to speake that which many of these are not ashamed to doe and though we are unworthy to be called Christians if we professe him in name and be not like him in workes yet the most part of men amongst us proclaime to the world that they have never thought whether they are going to Heaven or Hell There be many professed Christians but few imitaters of Christ we have so much science and so little conscience so much knowledge
First thou wert created by him a man and not a beast in England not in Aethiopia in this cleare and bright time of the Gospell not in the darkenesse of Paganisme or Popery Secondly thou wert redeemed out of Hell by his precious blood he spared not himselfe that his Father might spare thee Oh thinke what flames the damned endure which thou mayst escape if thou wilt thy selfe me thinkes this should melt a heart of Adamant Thirdly he hath preserved thee here from manyfold dangers of body and soule Fourthly he hath all thy life long plentifully and graciously blessed thee with many and manifold good things And lastly promised thee not onely felicity on earth but in Heaven if thou wilt serve him § 127. BEsides The same further amplified as these mercies are great in themselves so our unworthinesse doth greaten them more being shewed to us who are no lesse rebellious to him then he is beneficiall to us And is all this nothing to move thee dost thou thus requite him art thou so farre from loveing and fearing him that thou hatest others which doe O monstrous ingratitude oh foolish man to looke for other then great then double damnation O that such soveraigne favours as these should not onely not profit thee but turne to thy destruction through thy wilfull blind and perverse nature He is thy Lord by a manifold right his tenure of us is diversly held and thou his servant by all manner of obligations indeed our tenure of him is but single he is ours onely by faith in Christ Gal. 3.26 First he is thy Lord by the right of creation thou being his workmanship made by him Secondly by the right of redemption being his purchase bought by him Thirdly of preservation being kept upheld and maintained by him Fourthly thou art his by vocation even of his family having admitted thee a member of his visible Church Fifthly his also if it be not thine owne fault by sanctification whereby he possesseth thee Sixtly and lastly he would have thee of his court by glorification that he might crowne thee every way his Yea he hath removed so many evills and conferred so many good things upon thee that they are beyond thought or imagination for if the whole Heaven were turned to a booke and all the Angells deputed writers they could not set downe all the good which Christ hath done us Now favours bestowed and deliverances from danger binds to gratitude and the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect Hath God contrived so many wayes to save us and shall not we take all occasions to glorifie him Hath he done so much for us and shall we deny him any thing that he requires though it were our lives yea our soules much more our lusts we have hard hearts if the blood of the Lambe cannot soften them stony bowells if so many mercies cannot melt us Was he crucified for our sinnes and shall we by our sinnes crucifie him againe Doe we take his wages and doe his enemy service Is this the fruit of his benificence of our thankfulnesse Is this the recompence of his love to doe that which he hates and hate those whom he loves O for shame thinke upon it and at his instance be perswaded by whose blood you were redeemed from all these evills and interrested in all these good things The Apostle could not finde out a more heart-breaking argument to enforce a sacrificing of our selves to God then to conjure us by the mercies of God in Christ Rom. 12.1 and indeed we could not be unthankefull if we thought upon what the Lord gives and what he forgives but if the thought of these things will not move thee Lord have mercy upon thee For as it is a fearefull marke of a reprobate alwayes to abuse Gods mercy and patience to the hardening of our selves in our evill courses so good turnes aggravate unkindnesses and our offences are increased with our obligations yea there is not one of these favours of those warnings which I have mentioned or which thou hast received that shall not once be a witnesse against thee as appeares by 1 Sam. 2. where God saith unto Ely by the Prophet Did not I doe such and such things for thee and thy fathers house wherefore then hast thou done thus and thus And likewise by Chap. 15. where the Lord reproving Saul for his disobedience exceedingly aggravates his sinne by what he had formerly done for him yea how doth the Lord by the Prophet Nathan aggravate Davids fact by repeating the many and severall favours and deliverances which formerly he had extended to him 2 Sa. 12.7 to 13. § 128 YEa Even this booke will be a witnesse against them when their consciences are awakened even this very Booke shall be a witnesse and rise up in judgement against thee as Plutarch told Trajane the Emperour touching his letter of advise and those very eyes that read it and that understanding and will which hath conceived and consented unto the equity and truth of it shall be cited as witnesses against thee And in the meane time thou shalt never hereafter drinke sweare whore seduce hate persecute or reproach any for well doing but thy conscience as a sergeant shall arrest thee upon it yea this Booke shall gnaw thee at the heart with a Memorandum of Hell that thou shalt wish O that I could abandon my sinnes or else that I had never had such a warning And then perhaps the gate of mercy will be shut But then perhaps the gate of mercy will bee shut and though thou wouldest gladly repent yet it will be too late then shalt thou begin to say O what a warning had I such a time what an opportunity did I then let slip woe is me that ever I was borne and woe is me that ever I had such a warning which cannot choose but double my damnation hereafter as now it doubles my feare and horror Even thus and no otherwise will it fare with thee when once thine eyes are opened and opened they shall be for though Sathan and thy corrupt conscience doe sleep and suffer thee to sleep for a while yet at least upon thy death bed or in hell when there shall bee no more hope or meanes of recovery they will both wake against thee and awaken thee up to everlasting anguish and unquietnesse yea God shall once enliven and make quick the sense of thy benummed conscience and make thee know his power which wouldest never take notice of his goodnesse he will then teach thee with a vengeance as Gideon taught the men of Succoth vvith briers and thorns Those carelesse guests made light of their calling to come unto the marriage of the Kings sonne but they found at last vvhen they vvere shut out that there vvas no jesting and the rich man lift up his eyes in hell Luke 16.23 those scorching flames opened them to purpose they vvere never opened before § 129. THis is the difference
between a godly wise man and a deluded worldling Want of consideration the cause of all impiety neglect of obedience that which the one doth now judge to be vaine the other shall hereafter finde to be so when it is too late O the want of consideration what is spoken and who speaks is the cause of all impiety and neglect of obedience The reason why Samuel returned to his sleepe one time after another when God called him was he ignorantly thought it was only mans voyce and for the same reason thou wilt not listen to what justice and truth speakes in this behalfe otherwise thou wouldest search the Scriptures and try whether my doctrine and allegations be of God or no Acts 17.11 and being of God and agreeing with the pensell of the Holy Ghost for otherwise thou art free entertaine these lines as if they were an Epistle sent unto thee from heaven and writ by God himselfe to invite and call thee to repentance and though thou canst not imitate Zacheas who was called but once and came quickly to Christ yet thou wouldest imitate Peter and at this last crowing of the Cocke remember the words of Iesus which saith take heed to your selves least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfeiting and drunkennesse and cares of this life least that day come on you at unawares Luke 21.34 and againe whatsoever ye doe unto the least of mine ye do it unto me and weighing them with thy selfe goe out of thy sinnes by repentance as he went out of the high Priests Hall And so doing it should bee unto thee as Ionathans three Arrowes were to David which occasioned his escape from Saul's fury or as David's Harpe was to Saul which frighted away the evill spirit from him 1 Samuel 16.23 yea as the Angels was to Peter that opened the Iron gates loosed his bands brought him out of Prison and delivered him from the thraldome of his enemies yea if thou beest thine owne friend it shall serve thee as a Buoy to keep thy the ship of soule from splitting upon the Shelf of presumption which is my prayer and hope and should bee my joy to see it these things have I said that ye might be saved You know the good counsell of Sauls servant ledd him in a doubt to the man of God but his owne curiosity ledd him to the Witch of Endor 1 Sam. 9.6 And that little which Craesus King of Lydia learn'd of Solon saved his life and if Pilate would have taken that faire warning which his wife gave him as hee sate to judge Christ it might have saved his soule Matth. 27.19 and so may this thine if thou wilt be warned by it But if this nor no other warning wil serve thee if neither present blessings nor hope of eternall reward will doe any good if neither the Preachers of God in exhorting nor the goodnesse of God in calling nor the will of God in commanding nor the Spirit of God in moving can prevaile with thee tremble to think what a fearefull doome will follow for they shall tremble at the voyce of his condemnation that have shut their eares at the voyce of his exhortation Prov. 1.24 to 33. And so much of the sixth aggravation § 130. SEventhly 7. He not onely commits foule crimes but drawes others into the same sinnes this will above measure aggravate thy doome and adde to thy torment that thou seducest yea enforcest others to sinne and drawest them to perdition with thee for the infection of sinne is much worse than the act and misleades into evill sinne more and shall suffer more then the actors and although to commit such things as thou doest single and alone were enough yea too much to condemn thee yet because thou drawest others with thee to the same sins thy damnation shall be farre greater For they whom thou hast taught to doe ill increase thy sinne as fast as they increase their owne Now if their reward in heaven be so great that save one soule from death Dan. 12.3 how great shall their torment bee in Hell that pervert many soules to destrustion Matth. 5.19 they shall bee maximi in inferno greatest in the kingdome of hell he that can damn many soules besides his owne supererogates of Sathan and hee shall give him a double fee a double portion of hell fire for his paines Who then without a shower of teares can think on thy deplorable state or without mourning meditate thy fad condition Yea if Ely was punished with such fearefull temporall judgements onely for not admonishing and not correcting others which sinned what mayest thou expect that doest intise others yea enforce them though to intise others were wicked enough Let me say to the horror of their consciences that make merchandize of soules that it is a question when such an one comes to hel whether Iudas himself would change torments with him How fearefully think you do the seducer and seduced greet one another in hell me thinks I heare the Dialogue between them wher the best speaks first and saith Thou hast beene the occasion of my sinne and the other thou art the occasion of my more grievous torment c. Evill men delights to make others so one sinner maketh another as Eve did Adam but little doe they thinke how they advance their owne damnations when the blood of so many soules as they have seduced will be required at their hands and little doe sinners know their wickednesse when their evill deeds infect by their example and their evill words infect by their perwasion and their looks infect by their allure ments when they breath nothing but infection much lesse do they know their wretchednesse till they receive the wages of their unrighteousnesse which shall not be paid till their work be done and that will not be done in many yeares after their death For let them dye they sinne still For as if we sowe good works succession shal reape them and we shall be happy in making them so so on the contrary wicked men leave their inventions and evill practises to posterity and though dead are still tempting unto sinne and still they sin in that temptation they sinne as long as they cause sinne This was Ieroboam's case in making Israel to sinne for let him bee dead yet so long as any worship his Calves Ieroboam sinned neither was his sinne soone forgotten Nadab his sonne and Basha his successor Zimry and Omry and Ahab and Ahaziah and Iehoram all these walked in the wayes of Ieroboam which made Israel to sinne and not they alone but the people with them It is easie for a mans sinne to live when himselfe is dead and to leade that exemplary way to hell which by the number of his followers shall continually aggravate his torments The imitaters of evill deserve punishment the abetters more but there is no hell deepe enough for the leaders of publike wickednesse he that invents a new way of serving the
escape yea what vengeance shall bee prepared or is enough for them If God will come in flames of fire to render vengeance unto them which knowe him not how terrible will hee appeare to these his profest enemies who wittingly willingly and maliciously oppose him and his image all they can § 132. OBjection That the use their tongues only a frivolous excuse But thou hast only used thy tongue against them whereas some have shed the blood of the Saints Well suppose it bee so yet what should they suffer from thee if they were at thy mercy It is not so materiall what thou doest as what thou desirest the very purpose of treason though the fact bee hindered is treason not the outward action but the inward affection is all in all with God who measures the work by the will as men measure the will by the worke But to take only what is confest the persecution of the tongue is a greater evill then thou art aware of Wee reade that Chams scoffing only brought his Fathers curse and God's upon that And that their sinne which brought a scandall upon the holy Land and made all the people to murmure against Moses dyed by a plague from the Lord and was the cause that they never entered into it they found it was no jesting matter Numbers 14.37 Now wee may judge of their sin by their punishment yet their sinne was not halfe so bad as theirs is who amongst us cause the way of truth to be evill spoken of for this is either atheisme or frenzie or blasphemy or rather all these and thou shalt one day wish with Hecebolus that thy tongue had been rivetted to the roof of thy mouth from thy conception rather then thou haddest sinned so against the brethren wounded their weake consciences and so risen up against Christ 1 Cor. 8.12 yea to be a scoffer is the depth of sinne such an one is upon the very threshold of hell as being set downe in a resolute contempt of all goodnesse Besides some men will better abide a stake Some can better abide ast ake then others ascoffe then some others can a mock Zedechiah could happily have found in his heart to have harkened to the Prophets counsell but that this lay in his way I am afraid of the Iewes least they deliver me unto the Chaldeans hands and they mocke me Ier. 38.19 It was death to him to be mocked A generous nature is more wounded with the tongue then with the hand yea above hell there is not a greater punishment then to become a Sannio a subject of scorne Sampson bore with more patience the boring out of his eyes then the ludibrious scoffes of the Philistims they made a feast to their gods no Musitian would serve but Sampson he must now be their sport that was once their terror every wit every hand playes upon him who is not ready to cast his bone and his jest at such a captive so as doublesse he wished himselfe no lesse deafe then blind and that his soule might have gone out with his eyes oppression is able to make a wise man mad Eccl. 7.9 and the greater the courage is the more painefull the insultation Alcibiades did professe that neither the proscription of his goods nor his banishment nor the wounds received in his body were so grievous to him as one scornefull word of his enemy Clestiphon Yea O Saviour thine eare was more painefully pierced then thy browes or hands or feete it could not but goe deepe into thy soule to heare those bitter and girding reproaches from them Thou camest to save And hereupon good Queene Esther in her prayers to God for her people doth humbly deprecate this height of infelicity O let them not laugh at our ruines And David acknowledg'd it for a singular token of Gods favour that his enemies did not triumph over him Psal 41.11 Thou thinkest not tongue-taunts to be persecution but thou shalt one day heare it so pronounc't in thy bill of inditement Ishmael did but flout Isaac yet St. Paul saith he persecuted him Gal. 4.29 God calls the scorning of his servants by no better a name then persecution and whatsoever thou conceivest of it let this fault be as farre from my soule as my soule from Hell Alasse this is no petty sinne for one malicious scoffe made Foelix nothing day and night but vomit blood till his unhappy soule was fetcht from his wretched Carkasse And Pherecydes did no more but give religion a nick-name a small matter if thou mayst be made judge yet for that small fault he was consumed by Wormes alive And Lucian for barking like a dog against Religion was by a just judgment of God devoured of Dogs Yea suppose the best that can come namely that God gives thee an heart to repent of it before thou goe hence and that thy soule hath her pardon sued out in the blood of Christ as it fared with St. Paul that chosen vessell yet know that thy body and mind shall smart for this sinne above all doe but heare the Apostles owne testimony of himselfe 2 Corinthians 11.23 to 34 did he make havocke of the Church the world made havocke of him for it did he hale men and women to prison himselfe was often imprisoned did he helpe to stone Steven himselfe was also stoned did he afflict his owne countrimen his owne countrimen no lesse afflicted him did he lay stripes upon the Saints the Iewes layd stripes upon him was he very painefull and diligent to beate downe the Gospell he was in wearinesse and painefulnesse frequent watchings and fastings in hunger and thirst cold and nakednesse to defend the Gospell c. Thus he endured when he was Paul what he inflicted as he was Saul and yet he did it out of ignorance 1 Tim. 1.13 from whence we may argue by way of concession thus If he that found mercy felt the rod which scourged him so smart what shall their plagues be in whose righteous confusion God insulteth Pro. 1.26 Isay 1.24 If he who had his booke felt so much paine what shall they feele that are sentenced to eternall death If he that did it of ignorance and out of zeale was lasht with so many stripes what will become of them that doe the same knowingly and maliciously If Christ will be ashamed of them when he comes to judge that onely were ashamed to confesse him when he came to suffer how will he reject those with indignation that rejected him with derision If the wretched Gergasites who repelled Christ for feare are sent into the fire what doe they deserve who drive him away with scorne § 133. NOw the reason why God punisheth this sinne so severely VVhat is done to the godly Christ takes as done to himselfe And well h◠may for their hatred is against God and Christ is this What wrongs and contumelies are done to his children he accounts as done to himselfe as we may plainely perceive by Psal
sent for before Samuel he went pleasantly saying the bitternesse of death is past but his welcome was immediately to be hewen in peeces 1 Sam. 15.33 The rich man resolves when he hath filled his Barnes then soule rest but God answers no then soule come to judgement to everlasting unrest Luk. 12.19.20 The hope of an hypocrite is easily blown into him and as soone blowne out of him because his hope is not of the right kind yea it is presumption not confidence viz. hope frighted out of it's wits an high house upon weak pillars which upon every little change threatens ruine to the inhabitant for a little winde blowes down the Spiders-web of his hope wherby like the foolish builder he comes short of his reckoning That heart which Wine had even now made as light as a feather dyes ere long as heavie as a stone 1 Sam. 25.36 37. § 143 IT is Sathans method VVicked men are altogether in extreames either God is so mercifull that they may live hâ—w they list or so just that he wil not pardon them upon their repentance first to make men so senselesse as not to feele their sins at all and then so desperate that they feele them too much In the first fit men live as if there were no Hell in the last they dye as if there were no Heaven While their consciences are asleepe they never trouble them but being stirred by Sathan who when he sees his time unfolds his Ephemerides and leaves not the least of all their sinfull actions unanatomized but quoats them like a cunning Register with every particular circumstance both of time and place they are fierce as a mastive Dog and ready to pul out their throatâ— This Serpent may bee benummed for a time through extreamity of cold but when once revived it will sting to death The Divell is like Dalilah who said to Sampson the Philistims be upon thee when it was too late and she had taken away his strength Iudges 16. Wicked men are altogether in extreams at first they make question whether this or that be a sin at last they apprehend it such a sin that they make question whether it can bee forgiven either God is so mercifull that they may live how they list or so just that hee will not pardon them upon their repentance no meane with them betweene the Rocke of presumption and the Gulfe of despaire now presumption encourageth it selfe by one of a thousand and despaire will not take a thousand for one If a thousand men be assured to passe over a Foord safe and but one to miscarry desperation sayes I am that one and if a thousand Vessels must needs miscarry in a Gulfe and but one escapes presumption sayes I shall be that one as we read of but one sinner that was converted at the last howre of millions that had lesse iniquity yet have found lesse mercy But see further the strength of their argument Objection of the thief upon the crosse answered The Thiefe was saved at the last howre and therefore I shall Thou maist as well conclude the Sunne stood still in the dayes of Ioshua therfore it shall doe so in my dayes for it was a miracle with the glory whereof our Saviour would honour the ignominy of his Crosse and wee may almost as well expect a second crucifying of Christ as such a second Thiefes conversion at the last howre Hee were a wise man that should spurre his Beast till hee speake because Baalams Beast did once speake yet even so wise and no wiser is hee that makes an ordinary rule of an extraordinary example Againe the Thiefe was saved at the very instant of time when our Saviour triumphed on the Crosse tooke his leave of the world and entered into his glory Now it is usuall with Princes to save some heinous malefactors at their Coronation when they enter upon their Kingdomes in triumph which they are never knowne to doe afterwards Besides the Scripture speaks of another even his fellow in that very place and at that very instant which was damned There was one saith S. Augustine that none might despaire there was but one that none should presume That suddaine conversion of one at the last howre was never intended in Gods purpose for a temptation neither will any that have grace make mercy a Cloak or warrant to sinne but rather a spurre to incite them to godlinesse well knowing that to wait for Gods performance in doing nothing is to abuse that Divine providence which will so worke that it will not allow us idle and yet by Sathans policie working upon wicked mens depraved judgements and corrupt hearts in wresting this Scripture it hath proved by accident the losse of many thousand soules The flesh prophesies prosperity to sin yea life and salvation as the Pope promised the Powder traitors but death and damnation which Gods Spirit threatens will prove the crop they will reape for God is true and all flesh is a lyer § 144. BUt God sets forth himselfe to bee incomparably gracious Object God in mercyis in finitly transcenâ—ent mercifull long-suffering abundant in goodnes c. Ezâ— 34.6 and is acknowledged to bee so by David Psalm 86.5 by Ioel Chap. 2.13 by Ionah Chap. 4.22 by Micha Chap. 7 18. and in many other places It is very true Answ for it is a part of his title Exodus 34.6 hee is mercy in the abstract 1 Iohn 4.16 2 Cor. 1.3 1 Tim. 4.10 rich and abundant in mercy Ephesians 2.4 1 Pet. 1.3.19 his love is without height or depth or length or breath or any dimensions even passing knowledge Ephes 3.18 yea the Scripture advanceth God's mercy above his justice Psa 36.5 to 12. not in it's essence for God in all his Attributes is infinitely good and one is not greater then another but in it's expressions and manifestations It is said of mercy that it pleaseth him Micha 7.18 whereas justice is called his strange worke Esay 28.21 Lamentation 3.33 that he is slow to anger but abundant in goodnesse Exodus 34.6 hee bestowes mercyes every day inflicts judgements but now and then sparingly and after a long time of forbearance when there is no remedy 2 Chron. 36.15 Esay 65.2 that he visiteth the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation onely whereas hee shewes mercy to thousands Exodus 20.5.6 so that by how much three or foure come short of a thousand so much doth his justice come short of his mercy in the exercise of it Againe that his love to his people outstrips a Father's love to his sonne Matth. 7.11 and a Mothers too Esay 49.15 for he is the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 as being himself most mercifull and the author of mercy and compassion in others In fine he is so mercifull that the Kingly Prophet repeates it over six and twenty times together in one Psalm that his mercy endures for ever Psal 136. But what makes this for
no more then wee can do and accepts of what we are willing to doe for if we purpose before hand not to sin and in the act doe strive against sinne and after the act be sorry for the sinne sin shall never bee laid to our charge if wee hate our corruptions and strive against them they shall not be counted ours It is not I saith Paul but sin that dwelleth in me for what displeaseth us shal never hurt us and wee shall bee esteemed of God to be what we love and desire and labour to be Now let this point bee argued in the Court of thy conscience for although others may give a shrewd guesse yet the mother knowes best whether the child bee like the Father or no Say whether thou art guilty of these graces or not guilty He who makes not conscience of sin hath no true faith and the true method of grace is first cease to do evill then learne to do well Isa 1.16.17 for as we die to nature ere we live to glory so we must dye to sin ere we can live to righteousnesse there can be no fellowship between light and darknesse Christ and Belial the Arke and Dagon cannot lodge under one roof the house must first be cleansed ere it can be garnished in a payre of Tables nothing may well bee written before the blots and blurs be wiped out the good husbandman first stubs up the thorns and puls up the weeds then soweth the good seed if the wax receive a new image the old doth cease at least as the increase of light makes a decrease of darknesse it being impossible that two things of contrary natures should bee together in one subject the one not expelling the other either wholly or in part so it is betweene grace and corruption In a word if thou canst say I deprecate all sin I repent heartily of that is done I abhor to commit it I earnestly pray against it I strive with all my power to avoid it I thirst for more grace I am ready to all good works I rest wholly and onely on my Saviours merits thou mayest goe on and say I therefore rightly believe I believe and therefore am justified I am justified therefore called I am called therfore elected I am elected therefore I shal be glorified Otherwise if thou beest as it were a dead man continuing under the burthen of notorious crimes without sorrow or feare or remorse or care of amendment Ephes 2.1 if thou art a drunkard if thou art frequent in the language of hell viz. swearing cursing c without feare or sorrow or striving to leave it if thou delightest to boast of sinne and mischiefe or seekest to defend it Psal 52.1 if thou art of a reprobate judgement touching actions and persons esteeming good evill and evil good if the divell hath so bewitched thee that thou preferrest hell to heaven and blamest those that do otherwise if thou imitatest a bad stomack in turning â—â—ery thing to an evil construction so making a temptation of every thing Titus 1.15 if Ishmael-like thou mockest or Cham-like thou scoffest at the religious or usest bitter jests against them Psal 1.1 Ephesians 5.4 if thou raisest slanders of them or furtherest them being raised Psalme 4.2 and 31.18 and 35.20 as the red Dragon Revelation 12. cast a flood of water out of his mouth after the woman when hee could not reach her with his clawes verse 15. or any way opposest them for the opposition of goodnesse gives thee the title of wickednesse which alone is the enemy thereof and shewes thou art a souldier of the great Dragon who goes out to make warre with that blessed seed that keepe the Commandements of God Revel 12.17 these or any one of these especially the last shew that thou never camest where regeneration repentance and faith grew that thy soule like Venus Altar in the I le Paphos was never yet rained upon by grace from above for if the Image of God by faith were repaired in thee thou couldest not but bee delighted with those that are like thy selfe thou couldest not but love the godly because they are godly for the very first part of conversion is to love them that love God 1 Iohn 3.10 And in vaine shall a mans heart absolve him that is condemned by his actions for vertue and vice are both Prophets forewarning us of things to come the one of certaine good the other of paine or penitence § 151. BUt behold an other starting hole For if the evill spirit sees thee convinc'd of the necessity of repentance he will perswade thee to deferre it untill hereafter But he can repent when siâ—knes comes knowing that if he can prevaile therein it is all one as if thou hadst never purposed to repent at all for as experience may informe us not one of a thousand which take this course ever attaine unto it for either they adjourne the time prefixt from next yeare to next yeare c. or else they attaine not to that repentance which is true and sound But see the particulars laid open Thou promisest thine owne soule that thou wilt repent when thou art sicke though indeed the farthest end of all thy thoughts is the thought of thy end and to make thy reckoning at the last day Death may be sudden and give a manne leasure to be sicke the last and least thing thou makest reckoning of But hark in thine eare Oh secular man thy life is but a puff of breath in thy nosthrils and there is no trusting to it yea the least of a thousand things can kill thee and give thee no leasure to be sicke Surges may rise on suddaine ere wee think And whiles we swim secure compel us sink Saul being minded to aske counsell of the Lord concerning the Philistins was prevented for want of time 1 Samuel 14.19 And commonly wee never have so much cause to feare as when we feare nothing When Sampson was sporting with his Dalilah he little thought that the Philistins were in the chamber lying in waite for his life Iud 16. Full little doe sinners know how neare their jollity is to perdition judgement is often at the threshold while drunkennesse and surfeit are at the table § 152. BUt admit what thou imaginest 2 Orif death be not sudden repentance is no easie worke and late repentance is seldome true namely that death be not suddaine much the better for is it not commonly seene that the purpose of proroging for a day or a weeke doth not onely last for a yeare as the suspension of the Councell of Trent made for two yeares lasted tenne but as ill debtors put off their creditors first one weeke then another till at last they are able to pay nothing so deale delayers with God they adjourn the time prefixt from next yeare to next yeare whereby they and that good howre never meet as you shall observe one Coach wheele followes another one minute of a Clock hastens after
but hee onely findes helpe in adversity that sought it in prosperity and ther can be no great hope of repentance at the houre of death where there was no regard of honesty in the time of life God useth not to give his heavenly and spirituall graces at the houre of death to those who have contemned them all their life yea it is sensles to think that God should accept of our dry bones when Sathan hath suckt out all the marrow that he should accept of the lees when we have given to his enemy all the good Wine But heare what himselfe saith by the Prophet Malachy c. 1.8 and S. Ierome upon the place it is a most base and unworthy thing to present God with that which man would disdaine and think scorne to accept of Wherefore Admonition not to deferre repentance as you tender your owne soule even to day heare his voyce set upon the work presently he that begins to day hath the lesse work for to morrow And proroge not your good purposes least ye saying unto God in this life with those wicked ones in Iob depart thou from mee for a time God say unto you in the life to come depart from me ye cursed and that for ever Hee hath spared thee long and given thee already a large time of repentance but he will not alwayes wait for denyals his patience at length wil turn into wrath Time was when hee stayed for the old world an hundred and twenty yeares he stayed for a rebellious Nation forty yeares he stayed for a dissolute City forty dayes but when that would not serve his patience was turned into fury and so many as repented not were cast into hell If in any reasonable time wee pray hee heares us if we repent he pardons us if we amend our lives he faves us but after the houre prefixt in his secret purpose there is no time for petition no place for Conversion no meanes for pacification The Lord hath made a promise to repentance not of repentance if thou convertest to morrow thou art sure of grace but thou art not sure of to morrowes conversion so that a fit and timely consideration is the onely thing in every thing for for want of this Dives prayed but was not heard Esau wept but was not pitied the foolish Virgins knockt but were denied and how many at the houre of death have offered their prayers supplications and services unto God as Iudas offered his money to the Priests and could not have acceptance but they died as they lived and went from despaire unto destruction § 154. BUt thou wilt say unto me Objection that must men are of a contrary judgement and practice if this be so that all the promises are conditionall that mercy is entayled onely to such as love God and keepe his Commandements that none are reall Christians but such as imitate Christ and square their lives according to the rule of Gods word that of necessity we must leave sinne before sinne leaves us and that God will not heare us another day when we call to him for mercy if we will not heare him now when he calls to us for repentance how is it that so few are reformed that most men minde nothing but their profits and pleasures yea count them fooles that doe otherwise I answer VVhereof a double reason there be two maine reasons of it though one be the cause of the other 1 Ignorance 2 Vnbeleife First First few men beleeve the whole written word few men beleive what is written of God in the Scripture especially touching his justice and severity in punishing sinne with eternall destruction of body and soule for did they really and indeed beleeve God when he saith that his curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer Zack 5. they durst not sweare as they doe Did they beleive that neither Fornicâ—tors nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Theeves nor Murtherers nor Drunkards nor Swearers nor Raylers nor Lyers nor Covetous persons nor Extortioners nor Vnbeleivers nor no Vnrighteous men shall inherit the Kingdome of Heaven but shall have their part in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 1 Cor. 6.9.10 Rev. 21.8 they durst not continue in the practise of these sinnes without feare or remorse or care of amendment Did they beleive that except their righteousnesse doe exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees they shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Matth. 5.20 and that without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 with many the like it were impossible they should live as they doe Yea if they did in good earnest believe that there is either God or Devill Heaven or Hell or that they have immortall soules which shall everlastingly live in blisse or woe and receive according to that they have done in their bodies whether it be good or evill 2 Cor. 5.10 they could not but live thereafter and make it their principall care how to be saved But alas they are so farre from beleiving what God threateneth in his Word against their sinnes that they blesse themselves in their heart saying we shall have peace we shall speede as well as the best although we walke according to the stubbornnesse of our owne wills so adding drunkennesse to thirst Deut. 29.19 yea they preferre their condition before other mens who are so abstemious and make conscience of their wayes even thinking that their God deceiveth them with needlesse feares and scruples as once Rabshekah would have perswaded the Iewes touching their trust and confidence 2 King 18.22.25.30.32.33.35 They beleive what they see and feele and know they beleeve the lawes of the Land that there be places and kinds of punishment here below and that they have bodies to suffer temporall smart if they transgresse and this makes them abstaine from Murther Fellony and the like but they beleeve not things invisible and to come for if they did they would as well yea much more feare him that hath power to cast both body and soule into Hell as they doe the temporall Magistrate that hath onely power to kill the body they would thinke it a very hard bargaine to winne the whole world and lose their owne soules Luk. 9.25 but enough of this having proved the Drunkard an Atheist Sect. the 146. § 155. SEcondly 2 Ignorance is the cause of all sinne another maine reason is ignorance yea ignorance if we rightly consider it is the cause of all sinne sinne indeed at first was the cause of ignorance but now ignorance is the cause of sinne Swearing and lying and killing and stealeing and whoring I may well adde drunkennesse abound saith the Prophet because there is no knowledge of God in the Land Hosea 4.1.2 It is a people that doe erre in their hearts saith God why because they have not knowne my wayes Psal 95.10 yee are deceived saith our Saviour because ye know not the
Scriptures neither the power of God Matth. 22.29 when Christ wept over Hierusalem what was the cause even their blindnesse If thou hadst knowne saith he at the least in this thy day those things which now are hid from thine eyes Luk. 19.42 Because men know not the wages of evill therefore they doe it and because they would securely doe it therefore they refuse to know it Oh that men knew how good it is to obay to disobay how evill then should we have a new world but the Devill takes an order for that where he can prevaile and therefore he hath the Pope in one part of the world who will allow his subjects I meane the Layty no divine learning the Turke in another who denies to his any learning at all and this is no small advantage unto him for that Edict of Iulianus the Emperour whereby it was interdicted unto Christians to be admitted into Scholes Lectures and other exercises of learning was esteemed a more pernicious engine and machination against the Christian faith then were all the sanguinary persecutions of his predecessors Ob But blessed be God and our gracious Soveraigne may some say this is not our case we have plenty of light in our Horizon our Land abounds both with humane and divine learning Answ Very true and it is a blessing which we can never be sufficiently thankfull for and yet the Devill takes such an order that the odds is not much betweene our light and their darknesse for either Wizard-like he presents things in a false glasse or Sorcerer-like he makes things appeare other then they are by deception of our spirituall sight or Sophister-like he darkens the truth which the Word will not suffer to bee conceald with subtile distinctions as a man that puts out the candle with snuffing it or Causistlike he fills mens heads with a world of Problemes and Paradoxes their hearts and consciences with a thousand needlesse and endlesse questions unprofitable cold and bloodlesse impertinencies whereby the sound and saving knowledge of Iesus Christ and him crucified which was the onely care and studie of St. Paul 1 Cor. 2.2 is the portion but of a few even amongst us as the effect shewes for are not most men to whom the Gospell is so gloriously preach't chiefely guided according to the Rudiments of the world and not after Christ Col. 2.8 Quest But will any now in this cleare Sunne-shine of the Gospell be perswaded that they know not Christ crucified Answer It is too true Rightly a monknowe no more 〈◊〉 he practise◠that few know him for if they knew Christ they could not but love him and loving him they would keepe his commandements Ioh. 14.15 for hereby saith St. Iohn is it knowne that we know him if we keepe his Commandements 1 Ioh. 2.3 but he that saith I know him and yet keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and there is no truth in him ver the 4. Rightly a man knowes no more then he practiseth it is said of Christ 2 Cor. 5.21 that he knew no sin because he did no sin in which sense he knowes no good that doth no good and he may know much that cannot utter much as a Martyr answered Bishop Bonner My Lord I cannot dispute for the truth but I can dye for the truth a good argument to prove that he knew Christ for mens actions expresse their knowledge better then their words Vertue is ordained a wife for knowledge and where these two joyne there will proceede from them a Noble prodiene a generation of good workes but they that wander in by pathes declare themselves ignorant of the right way of salvation Rom. 3.17 That is but a raw knowledge which is not digested into practise What 's the difference betweene Christianity and infidelity but holinesse For as Rhetoricke is the Art of speaking well and Logicke the art of disputing well and Magistracy the art of governing well so Christianity is the art of liveing well It is not worth the name of knowledge that may be heard onely and not seene good discourse is but the froth of wisdome the pure and solid substance of it is in well framed actions when we are wise in our hands as the Dutch are said to be These things if ye know happy are ye if ye doe them Iohn 13.17 and in Deut. 4.6 keepe the Commandements of God and doe them for this is your wisdome and understanding before God and men The knowledge that saves us He that hath saveing knowledge hath every other grace is more then a bare apprehension of God it knowes his power and therefore feares him knowes his justice and therefore serves him knowes his mercy and therefore trusts him knowes his goodnesse and therefore loves him c. for he that hath the saving knowledge of God hath every other grace there is a sweete correspondence betweene every one where there is any one in truth As in the generation the head is not without the body nor the body without each member nor the soule without it's powers and faculties so in the regeneration where there is any one grace in truth there is every one 2 Cor. 5.17 but see it in particulars They that know thy name saith the Psalmist will trust in thee Psal 9.10 there 's faith Let him that rejoyceth rejoyce in this that he understandeth and knoweth me Ier 9 24. ther 's joy Hee that knoweth God heareth us 1 Ioh. 4.6 there is an awfull attention to the Word preach't If thou knewest me saith our Saviour thou wouldest have asked of me Iohn 4.10 ther 's the Spirit of prayer and supplication He that knoweth God loveth God and the children of God 1 Iohn 4.7.8 He that knoweth God keepeth his Commandements 1 Iohn 2.3 Now I know thee saith Iob to God I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Iob. 42.5.6 He that knoweth God is borne of God 1 Iohn 4.7 there is love obedience humility godly sorrow regeneration I might goe on and instance in every other grace For as feeleing is inseparable to all the Organs of sense the eye sees and feeles the eare heares and feeles the palat tastes feeles the nosthrills smell and feele so knowledge is involved in every grace faith knowes and beleives charity knowes and loves patience knowes and suffers temperance knowes and abstaines humility knowes and stoopes repentance knowes and mournes obedience knowes and does confidence knowes and rejoyces hope knowes and expects compassion knowes and pities Yea as there is a power of water in every thing that growes it is fatnesse in the Olive sweetnesse in the Figg cheerefulnesse in the Grape strength in the Oake talenesse in the Cedar rednesse in the Rose whitenesse in the Lilly c. so knowledge is in the hand obedience in the mouth benediction in the knee humility in the eye compassion in the heart charity in the whole body and soule piety Alasse if men had the true knowledge of Iesus Christ it
bray'd with a Pestell yet he will not depart from his foolishnesse Pro. 27.22 for let God send never so many messengers to him and plagues upon him as he did upon Pharaoh he will not depart from his sinnes he must retaine if not all yet at least this his beloved sinne untill he is overwhelmed in the bottomlesse Ocean of his wrath yea let him heare even our Saviour himselfe say that he shall give an account at the day of judgement for every idle word Matth. 12.36 yet he will goe on in his hellish plots and perswade himselfe he shall give no account at all or let some Prophet of the Lord tell him what traines are laid to catch his soule and how many Principalities spirituall wickednesses and powers of darknesse lye in ambush against him Ephes 6.12 As El sha disclosed the traines and ambushments of the King of Syria against the King of Israel 2 King 6.9.10 which was as good a peece of service as could be he makes nothing on 't he shall speede as well as his fellowes and indeede so he shall even as Laban or Nabol or Dives doe in Hell if in due time he repent not and so restore what he hath wrongfully gotten as the worst of them would doe if they were suffered to returne out of Hell to their former riches Now that thou mayst repent while the day of thy life lasteth take one motive from the damned in Hell who would gladly repent now but cannot St. Augustin asketh this question what we thinke the rich glutton in Hell would doe if he were now in this life againe would he take paines or no quoth he would he not bestir himselfe rather then returne into that place of torment againe yes his teares should even strive with the sand in the hour-glasse he would doe any thing to seâ—ke the Lord while he may be found Wherefore to day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts Yea as our Saviour Christ said to forewarne all revolters Remember Lot's wife so say I to forewarne all Arch-politicians and cunning Machevillians of the world remember poore Naboth's Vineyard § 160. 4. He cares 〈◊〉 for a little muck tâ—â—eave behind â—im then for soule or bodâ— FOurthly vertue is in farre lesse esteeme with the cunning Politician then riches As it fares with a naturall foole he is so farre from selling all that he hath to buy the rich Pearle of faith with the wise Merchant Matth. 13.46 that he will sell this rich Pearle and all other grace to boote to purchase the triviall commodities of white and red earth and good reason as temporising States-men politicke Machevilians and hypocriticall Ambidexters thinke who make a shew of Religion but in their hearts laugh at it he knowes no other coyne he desires no other stampe yea to be rich thinkes this worldling is to be three parts of the way on-ward to perfection Indeed gold is the onely coverlet of imperfections t' is the fooles curtaine that can hide all his defects from the world yea from himselfe for though he have a want of all good and which is worse a sense of want of that want yet he thinkes himselfe in a very good estate and so much neerer to Heaven for having abundance of earth And yet if God did not give to some of them their riches in wrath he would not deny them the use of their owne as how often are men baser by being wealthier like Pierce Gavistone who as the Chronicle reports the more he was enriched the worse was his estate or whether it be that they have not so much wit as to know their money will buy them all necessaries of meate drinke apparell and the like or whether by a just judgment of God the Devill makes them his drudges to get and bring him in gold as the King of Spaine doth the poore Indians that he may keepe it in banke for the next prodigall to spend as ill as the other got it as how oft is that spent upon one Christmas revelling by the Son which was fourty yeares a getting by the Father I know not but sure I am that though with that Priest 2 King 12.9 they can put a world of gold and silver into their chests yet they cannot take it out againe to doe themselves good for the Devill keepes the key as Iehoash the King of Israel did of that chest vers 10. So that a covetous griper is like Tantalus who standeth up to the chin in water and hath all kinds of fruits hanging over his head but is not suffered to tast them Or like an Asse who is laden with gold but feeds upon thistles Or like the Indians who though they have all the gold amongst them yet are the most beggerly and naked people alive For what is he other then a rich begger or a begger in the midst of his riches when upon all his estate there is set a spell and his wealth sayes to him in effect touch not tast not handle not But O fooles incomparable Aristippus cared onely for the body as if he had had no soule Zeno but for the soule as if he had had no body Achitophel for his family alone as if he had had neither body nor soule of his owne to care for but these care neither for soule nor body nor family for he both tyres and starves them but for a little mucke to leave behind them Fiftly as a foole can finde in his heart to be surety for a stranger yea 5. Hee can finde â—n his heart to goe to Heâ—â— so his son may be ieft rich yeild himselfe to Prison for anothers enlargment Pro. 17.18 so the politick worldling and cruell oppressor can finde in his heart to goe to Hell for another he will damne his owne soule to leave his Sonne rich yea what a deale of paines and care doth the covetous man take for his owne damnation he scarce weares a good garment or eates a liberall meale or takes a quiet sleepe but torments himselfe to get that for getting whereof he shall be tormented so himselfe is voluntarily miserable here and elsewhere that others may be happy And yet let him with Pope Iohn the 22. leave behind him 250. Tunnes of gold even all this will not make his Sonne happy ' it s well if it make him not more unhappy No neither it nor the whole world without grace shall ever make him contented as it fared with Alexander who having conquered this world was troubled that there was no more worlds for him to conquer Besides in a short time this Sonne of his must part with his wealth also for either his riches shall be taken from him as they were from Iob or else he from his riches as the rich man was from his substance and wealth Wherefore it were more policy a great deale for him to make his Sonne good then great for godlinesse is great gaine as the Apostle well phraseth it 1 Tim. 6.6 because it
to see and love things above nature heavenly wisdome to see heavenly truth or else that truth which is saving will be to us a mystery yea seeme foolishnesse 1 Cor 2.7 8 14. wheras the spirit reveales all things to the beleiver even the deepe things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 12 15 16. giving him a mouth and wisdome where against all his adversaries shall not be able to speake or resist Luke 21.15 Wherefore get faith and thou hast mounted another step to wisdome entred a third roome of this Palace Fourthly 4 Be constant in prayer for the spirits helpe he must be frequent and fervent in prayer to God for the diriction of his holy Spirit for First humble and faithfull prayer ushered in by meditation is the cure of all obscurity especially being accompanied with fervor and fervency If any lacke wisdome saith St. Iames let him aske of God which giveth to all men liberally and reproacheth no man and it shall be given him Iam. 1.5 marke the words it is said if any wherefore let no man deny his soule this comfort againe aske and have it cannot come upon easier termes yea God seemes to like this sute so well in Solomon as if he were beholding to his Creature for wishing good to it selfe yea more whatsoever we aske in prayer if we beleeve we shall have it Math. 21.22 And in vaine doe we expect that Almes of Grace for which we doe not so much as beg Secondly as Sampsons companions could never have found out his Riddle if they had not plowed with his heyfer so no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 And as none can behold the light of the Sunne but by the benefit of the Sunne so none can know God who is called the Father of lights in the plurall number because of the degrees and diversities of his gifts nor the things of God but by the revelation of God 1 Cor. 12.8 Math. 16.17 with the Spirits helpe the meanes can never be too weake without never strong enough One excellent and necessary prerogative of the spirituall man is this he hath God for his teacher he learnes the counsells of God of that spirit which only knoweth God's counsells Luke 21.15 For though his outward man receives the elements and rudiments of Religion by breeding and education yet his inward man receiveth them by heavenly inspiration For as spirituall wisdome is not the fruite of time and study as the naturall is so it hath a higher fountaine then nature to feede it even the Spirit of God which is no small priviledge for the Scholler learnes quickly when the Holy Ghost is his teacher the eye sees distinctly when the Holy Ghost doth enlighten it When Christ taught in the Temple they askt how knoweth this man the Scriptures seeing he never learned them so it is a wonder what learning some men have that have no learning like Priscilla and Aquila poore Tent-makers which were able to schole Apollos that great Clarke a man renowned for his learning What can we say to it for no other reason can be given for it but as Christ said Father so it pleaseth thee For as Iacob came so soone with his Venison that his father askt him how he came by it so suddenly and Iacob answered because the Lord thy God brought it suddenly to my hands so holy and righteous men can give no other reason why they understand the words of God so easily and the wicked doe conceive them so hardly but that God brings the meaning suddenly to their hearts as we reade Luk. 24. that Christ standing in the midst of his Apostles after he was risen from the dead opened their understandings that they might understand clearely the Scriptures and what vvas vvritten of him in the lavv of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes vers 44.45 Loe hovv suddenly their knovvledge came unto them But see vvhat a generall promise God in the person of vvisdome hath made to all that serve him Pro. 1.23 Wherefore importune God the Father for the direction of his holy Spirit and thou shalt at the least have light enough on earth to bring thee to the light of Heaven But in praying for wisdome observe one caution But pray not for knowledge without putting difference doe not pray for it without putting difference There is a speculative knowledge in the braine common to hypocrites with Gods children Heb. 6.4 and there is an experimentall and saving knowledge in the heart peculiar to the godly alone Eph. 4.8 and 5.8 pray especially for the last of these let thine hearts desire be to know God in Christ Christ in faith faith in good workes to know Gods will that thou mayst doe it and before the knowledge of all other things desire to know thy selfe and in thy selfe not so much thy strength as thy weakenesse pray that thine heart may be insteed of a Commentary to helpe thee understand such points of religion as are most needfull and necessary and that thy life may be an exposition of thy inward man that there may be a sweete harmony betwixt Gods truth thy judgement and whole conversation that what the naturall man knowes by thinking thou mayst double by feeling the same in thine heart and affections as indeed experimentall and saving knowledge is no lesse felt then knowne and I cannot tell how comes rather out of the abundance of the heart then by extreame study or rather is sent by God unto good men like the Ramme that was brought to Abraham when he would have sacrificed his Sonne Isaac For God may grant our petitions in judgment But if thou shalt pray unto God for knowledge without making a difference and shalt stand more upon the quantity then the quality so resembling the curre in the fable which preferred the shadow to the meate or those parents among the Heathen which sacrificed to the gods for childien but not for good children or Nero's Mother who being told that her Sonne should be Emperour but to her griefe and sorrow answered so my Sonne have the Empire let my sorrow and griefe be what it will or Eudoxus whose wish and prayer to the gods was that hee might once view the Sunne neere at hand to comprehend his forme greatnesse and beauty on condition he were immediately burnt and consumed by it God will either crosse thee in thy desire as he did those anticke builders Gen. 11.3 to 10. who purposed a Tower the top whereof should reach unto Heaven for no other cause but to get them a Name And what if the height had answered their desire Or as he doth dayly men and women that had rather be rich or honourable then good or if he doe grant their desires yet he will grant it them in judgement as he did a King to the Israelites and Quailes with which he fed their bodies but withal sending leannesse into their soules or as he granted a
hates all that Christ hath chosen out of it Ioh. 15.19 and this is a strong tye to flesh and blood though our Saviour calls this a cursed condition Luk. 6.26 Yea how doth the indifferent worldling applaud himselfe therein together with his owne discretion and mediocrity for seeing this man vexed for his zeale that other hated for his knowledge a third persecuted for the profession of his saith c. he saith within himselfe welfare a quiet ignorance so his body is but like a lumpe of scarce moving earth and his soule a standing puddle in the midst of it 3 They have farre more peace if it may be called peace with their owne hearts then the Godly 3 VVith themselves for their consciences being either brawned with the custome of sinne or cast into a dead sleepe by Sathan they feele not those perilous wounds which sinne impaires them withall yea being past feeling they can with more ease digest the hardest and foulest offence then the stomacke of an Estridge can digest Iron whereby they esteeme of their sinnes as Paul speakes of an Idoll that it is nothing in the world as for oathes yea the sinne of blasphemy it is a very mite a moate a nothing in a word how sick soever their soules be I meane how wicked and detestable soever their lives yet they have healthfull consciences which never complaine or once paine them no they heare not a Syllable of ill language from them they never check them doe they what they will neither did they ever doubt in all their lives or were once troubled in mind or conscience They think themselves more happy in serving the Devill then others in serving of God as many scrupulous fooles are and hereupon they thinke themselves more happy in serving the Devill then others in serving God as those apostate Iewes in Egypt did Ier. 44.16 to 19. Alasse what should they feare they prosper in their wickednesse they doe what they list and the Lord lets them alone therefore they thinke he is pleased with them and with their actions and that which way soever they take the end of their journey must needs be salvation yea this makes them thinke they doe wondrous well as Dionysius when he had dispoyled an Idolls temple of all the gold therein and finding the winds favourable in his Navigation applauds himselfe saying see how the gods approve of Sacriledge according to that in the Psalmes he that maketh gaine blesseth himselfe Psal 10.3 Besides they have good hearts and meanings as how common is it with them to talke of good meanings when they are the worst doers in a countrey yea when in their practise they embrace all morall vertues in their contraries yea though they make not such a shew to the world they have as good a heart as the proudest and hope to be saved as well as the best and so let who will say to the contrary they are sure to goe to Heaven as streight as a Sickle and so they shall for they shall goe into Heaven if they amend not their lives when the Sodomites come out of Hell and in the meane time their soules are so much the sicker by how much lesse they are sensible of paine they were wretched if they felt their danger more wretched being they feele it not as once Tully said of Anthony § 184. THirdly 3 They are better proficients then Gods people 1 Because the Devill blinds them and so shewes the sweetnesse of sin hides the thought of punishment as Sathan hath many advantages above Gods servants in getting Disciples and keeping such as he hath gotten so no lesse in making them proficients in evill for it cannot be denied but Sathans servants thrive more under him in sinne then Gods servants can doe in grace the reason is this Sathan who is the god of this World blindeth the minds of all unbeleivers that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ should not shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.3.4 Eph. 2.2 2 Thes 2.9.10 for as Sathan is the Prince of darkenesse so he rules in the darknesse of the understanding dealing with wicked men as Faulkeners doe with their Hawkes who that they may carry them quietly and doe what they list unto them first blind their eyes with a hood Hercules when he stole away the golden Aples from the Hesperides who as the Poets feigne had an Orchard of them first slew the Dragon that kept them the keeper and watch of our soules is the understanding now if Sampson's eyes be once puld out the Philistins may bind him with fetters put him in prison make him grind at the mill make him a subject of scorne and what not If the Raven can but first pick out the poore sheepes eyes he may easily prey upon the whole body if the Eagle can but throw dust in the Harts eyes she makes it nothing afterward to kill him if the Dragon have once bereaved the Elephant of sight his whole body easily becomes a prey to his fury all these namely the Philistins the Raven the Eagle and the Dragon are fit emblems of Sathan who first seizeth upon the eye of the understanding and then preyes freely upon the rest of the soule And indeed what may not an enemy doe to him which wants his sight If the Assyrians be once blinded how easily may one leade a thousand of them into the mid'st of any Samaria even to their ruine 2 King 6.18.19 Yea how impossible is it for a man not to ruine himselfe when he wants his sight Polyphemus so soone as Vlysses had puld out his eye runs reeling and rushing against every rocke untill he had dasht out his braines So much darknesse as is left in the soule so much roome is there left for Sathan to deceive us While the candle is out it is safe for rogues to play their trickes in the darke Indeed he will afford his servants any degree of knowledge whether it be divine humane or mundane so it be not a practicall experimentall and saving knowledge he will allow them an understanding like that of the Scribes and Pharisees which was enough to condemne them but not to save them yea let the Devill like Nahash onely obtaine our right eyes of faith to be puld out it sufficeth he cares for no more he will then let us enjoy our peace our pleasure and what other priviledges we doe desire It is more true of vertue and God's truth then it was of that Creetish beauty no man loved her that never saw her no man ever saw her but he loved her neither could concupiscence bring forth sinne without the consent of Reason and this would never consent so long as the eyes are open Wherefore the Devill to utter his damned commodities dealeth as some tradsmen about their bad wares puts out the true lights and sets up falfe lights in their stead If the light of knowledge might freely shine in the soule Sathans suggestions would soone make him ashamed
our first Parents which tended to the ruine of them and all mankind It is usuall with drunkards to kisse when they meete and kill when they part Drunken Alexander killed Clytus for whom sober Alexander would have killed himselfe The Danes and Norwayes once purposing for England fell drunke on shipboard and so slasht one another that there was an end of their voyage Out of their gallant disposition you shall have one kill another upon the interpretation of a word a manifest confession that their life is not much worth sith they will sell it so good cheape yea there are not wanting of them that resemble Fimbria of Rome who meeting a Citizen that he hated gave him a deadly thrust into the body with his sword and the next day entred an action against him that he had received but part of his blade into his body and not all as he meant it Yea perhaps they may make you to doe that which you never dreamt of like Herod who cut off Iohn Baptist's head only to answer the expectation of the standers by Matth. 14.9 As for flattery it never wants welcome while selfe-love is at home but the plaine dealing man cannot live among these Vipers and not be stung by them yea he lives most in trouble that most seekes to have peace with them by a familiarity Well then if they are so offensive to the stomacke of our company that they will not let us be at peace our best way wil be to spevv them out to deale with our old vicious consorts as the Fox in the Fable did by his Fleas who wading backward into the water by degrees drew them all into a lock of Wooll which he had in his mouth and then left it swimming even leave them without taking leave of them or if you like not to teare friendship asunder upon the sudden you may unsowe it by little and little He that would not continue a friend may but neglect him and have his ayme § 203. OB. The agreement of wicked men not worthy the name of peace But I heare none boast so much of peace as the ungodly nor none taxed so with contention as the religious Answ Boast of it they may but it is apparent that the way of peace they have not so much as knowne indeed they have some kind of agreement among themselves and so have Serpents and Beares and Wolves it is a rare thing to see one Wolfe devoure or fight with another yea they have made a covenant with death and are at agreement with Hell Isay 28.15 and yet as there is no peace to the wicked Isa 57.21 so there is no peace among the wicked for every combination in evil is rebellion not peace rather a conspiracy then a concord like the agreement of Absolom and Achitophel combining together against David or of Herod and Pilate conspiring against Christ or of the false Apostles plotting against Paul so meeting in malice to doe mischiefe but a godly dissention is better then such a wicked peace Neither can any wonder that wicked men doe so conspire in evill that there is such unanimity in the broachers abbettors of it if he but take notice of those Devills which being many in substance were yet one in name action habitation even a whole Legion in one man Marke 5.9 all the praise of concord is in the subject if that be holy the consent is angelicall if sinnefull devilish true peace is to have peace with God warre with our lusts Ro. 5.1 and 7.22.23 peace with vertue warre with vice whereas they have peace and are at league with their sinnes but are at warre with God and good men all at once but a just warre is a thousand times better then such an ill conditioned peace yea it no way deserves the name of peace except we be at enmity with the Serpent at unity within our selves we ought so to be at peace with men as that we doe not warre with God and his graces peace must be followed with holinesse Heb. 12.14 wherefore Zachary joyneth faith peace and truth together Zach. 8.16 and St. Paul peace and righteousnesse peace and edification peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17.19.20 c. Thus the Scripture sets us our bounds for peace which we may not passe and shewes that ungodly men are not guilty of this grace that they doe but talke of peace not practise it But suppose we could enjoy peace in their company A dâ—unkard can never love him that is sober and religious yet we can never expect to have their loves for drunkards only love drunkards and one wicked man another but care not a rush for any that are good being like Phalaris the Tyrant who would never grant any request except it were to a dissolute woman but such he never denied Likenesse we know is the cause of love and love the cause of likenesse whereas the beleiver and the unbeleiver are altogether unlike the one being crucified and dead to the world Gal. 6.14 but made alive in Christ 1 Cor. 15.22 The other being spiritually dead even while they are alive 1 Tim. 5.6 We seldome see different dispositions entirely loving for hence growes the height of friendship when two similary soules doe blend in their commixions And hence it is that two friends are said to come into Vulcan's shop to beg this boone of him that he would either beate them on his Anvile or melt them in his Fornace both into one the which he granted I'ts likenesse that makes the true love knot of friendship when we finde another of our owne disposition it appeares the same soule in a divided body Nature that makes us love our selves makes us with the same reason love those that are like us A friend is a more sacred name then a Brother Pro. 18.24 For what availes it to have the bodies from the same originall when the soules within them differ And yet some Rehoboam-like passing over the religious will joyne themselves with ungodly persons like as some put away honest wives and goe to harlots wherein they deale as wisely as if a man should cast away his fleshy leg and set on another of Wood. Causa patrocinio non bona pejor erit Or A wicked mans love mercenary inconstant and not worth the having admit thou shouldst enjoy a wicked mans love it is but mercenary base and inconstant and so not worth the having Indeed there was never such abject and servile prostitutions of presentations as life soule devotion adoration servant slave c. as there is now amongst our drunkards and rorers and what love they expresse to one they professe to all every one they know or salute is their friend but friendship so distracted like as the River Ganges was by Cyrus into 365. brookes both looses her name and nature a lover of so many never loves any Or admit a drunkard doe love thee either he loves thee for his owne sake because he
hath some pleasure or profit or credit by thee as prosperity procureth friends no lesse then adversity proveth them which is with Craterus to love the King rather then with Ephaestion to love Alexander now I doe not hold him worthy thankes that professeth me kindnesse for his owne ends Or secondly he loves only thy body or naturall parts which is but the worst peece of thee and love to the body is but the body of love the soule of love is the love of the soule Neither doth he truly love that loves the body more then the mind and soule or common gifts before saving graces this love as it is never long liv'd so it is oft but feigned as you shall have drunkards and dissembling polititians salute one another with God save you at their meeting and wish one another hanged at their parting Italian-like they will be glorious and complementall in their in vitations but if you accept of their offer they will hate you for it ever after A drinking friendship is but a drunken friendship and beleeve it thou wilt find those friends firmest that thy vertues purchase thee these will love thee when thy wealth is gone whereas those that be wonne without desert will also be lost without a cause you need but be an Arbitrator betweene two such friends to make them both your enemies things that differ in their end will surely part in their way now thy end is to gaine him his end to make a gaine of thee for let the passage of profit be stopt his love is likewise at a stand have you deserved never so well from him the deniall of one favour nay an health shall drowne the memory of many fore-performed ones which is all one as if for the abortion of one child a man should kill all the former issue whereas the good mans thankes for old favours lives even in the blowes of injurie or can you not feede these vermine as you have done away they goe like a Sunne Diall you shall be no longer regarded then you are shined on by prosperity yea Rats runne not faster away from an house on fire nor lice from a dead body then they from poverty and if ever it be your misery to stand in need of them looke for no other requitall then Iob had of his carnall friends whom he compares to a deceitful Brooke which in winter is hard frozen with cold in Summer dried up with heate betweene winter and Summer passing away alwayes deceitfull never of use Iob. 6.14 to 19. Yea a man may say of such friends as a learned Antiquary said of Rumney Marsh bad in Winter hurtfull in Summer never good nay this comparison falls short for thou hast sped well if such friends prove not dangerously hurtfull as well as helpelesse Have I not knowne some of them resemble the Snake which when a kind Husbandman had taken out of the cold and cherished in his bosome and she had recovered her lively heate and was growne lusty singled out him ungratefully to trie her first sting upon or a Promotour that in Lent eates flesh at your table and yet is the first that accuseth thee to the Magistrate If Ziba be waxed great under Mephibosheth he will give him a lift for all he hath A promoted Begger hath not seldome renounced his advancer And what else can be looked for from them They cannot make conscience of civill duties who make none of divine If a man have cast off his God he will easily cast off his friend They that have broken their faith with him will keepe no faith with us When Religion is once gone humanity will not stay long after I take leave of this point with a caution Reveale to such men no secrets for he that now loves thee dearely may come to hate thee deadly nor beleeve a word that they say for they are like Antigonus who never denied any sute that was asked but withall never performed any thing that he granted for what they promise when they are drunke they forget when they are sober or like Saul who being perswaded of David's worth and loyalty sweares as the Lord liveth he shall not die 1 Sam. 19.6 yet within foure verses for all his oath he darts a Speare at him intending to naile him to the vvall in the next verse he sends messengers to his house to kill him or like the Councell of Constance vvho made promise to Iohn Husse of a conduct and safe returne yet like forsworne persecuters put him to death § 204. OB. Objections answered But here some of them will reply That we lay the saddle upon the wrong horse when we tax them for want of peace love and friendship in that the religious only shew inconstancy by bidding farewell to their old friends and acquaintance so soone as they embrace religion Answ Change in the vicious were a rare vertue To this is answered First that constancy except it be in the truth and in a good cause is impudency change in the vicious is as great a vertue as constancy in the vertuous The Almaines were praised for changing their customes which were found to be but bad before as Tacitus affirmeth Constancy in things ill is so farre from being a vertue that it is an absolute vice Of things imperfect change is the way to perfect them The Gentiles became beleevers the Iewes Infidells Zacheus turnes from the world Demas turns to the world Paul turns an Apostle Iudas an Apostate I would faine know whether change in the Gentiles Zacheus and Paul was not as great a vertue as it was a vice in the Iewes Demas and Iudas Saint Paul was inconstant indeed for to day as it were he breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of Christ and to morrow he preacheth Christ in the Synagogue what then will any not debauched censure him of ficklenesse for it nay will not all wise men thinke it a great honour to him and commend him for shaking hands with the high Priests and his fellow Pursevants when once hee heard that voice from heaven Act. 9.4 There is not any so neare unto us but if he fall from God wee may fall from him It merits the name of wilfulnesse when we will not admit of a lawful chang to the better As Philocrates sported with Demosthenes you may not marvell Athenians that Demosthenes and I do differ for he drinks water and I drinke wine so some laugh at us for being sober with Rhenish and we as much pity them for being drunk with Canary Againe they censure us of inconstancy we them of impudency Now in this case when that is reputed ridiculous by one which is accounted sage by another as wise what shall we doe but make Gods Word the umpier Wherefore in all changes I will have regard to these three things God's approbation mine owne benefit and the not harming of my neighbour and then where the change is not a fault I will never
think it a disgrace though the great exchange the World should judge it so Even modesty in some is a vice when out of a weake flexibility of nature Even modesty in some is a vlce a man hath not courage enough to deny the request of a seeming friend If a man never abandoneth evill untill he abandoneth evill company it is high time to take courage yea the longer wee have beene with them the more need have we to hasten out of them If this satisfie not as the Emperor Frederick said to certaine of his Minions that vvere importunate to get into their hands the ancient demeasne of the Empire that hee would rather be accounted of small liberallity then perjured even so had vve in this case rather be accounted inconstant then be unconscionable To the second part of the objection True love and friend ship only among good men I ansvver That true love and friendship is only among good men The vvicked may talke of it and one drunkard may professe to another that hee loves him as well as himselfe and therein speake truth for saith Augustine most elegantly to such an one thou lovest thy selfe so as thou wilt destroy thy selfe and thou wilt destroy him whom thou lovest as thy selfe yea better then themselves for you shall have one Ruffian salute another with God save you Sir but after some strange attestations sweare away himselfe with God damn me Sir now how can any wise man thinke him a friend that is his own enemy he that is evill to himselfe to whom will he be good But see the depth of such a mans love and whether it be not to damn thy body and soule everlastingly S. Ambrose tels us of one who solicited a godly woman to incontinency saying he infinitely loved her she answers if you love me so well as you seeme put one of your fingers into the flame till your flesh be burnt off he replys that was no part of love in her to require it yes said she if yours be love to cause both my body and soule to be burnt in hell fire for ever which by consequence will follow if I yeeld to your request and take your counsell Oh that thou hadst the wit to answer the drunkard when he tempts thee thus Indeed there is a kind of agreement which is strengthened by sinne it selfe as if one fee the keeper of a wench his secrecy is bought for ever But all this while if one call another friend it is but to give him a nick-name whereof hee is not guilty for true friendship is so sacred holy and pure that it will not be used in evill which made Pericles when hee was desired by a friend of his to aide him with false witnesse answere that hee would befriend him as farre as the Altar meaning so farre as stood with piety and religion or his duty to God but no further and Phecion refuse to help his son in law Cariles in judgement being accused for bribery saying withall that hee had made him his friend and allie in just and reasonable matters and in them only and this likewise made Papinian a Pagan being commanded by the Emperor Caracalla whose Steward and familiar he was refuse to defend an unjust cause as Marcellinus records and thus it fares with all that are truly religious There is not any one quoth the sincere Christian either in blood or otherwise so neare unto me but if he fall from God I will fall from him why our Saviour Christ hath taught me both by precept and example that I should acknowledge none so as to be led by them for my brother sister or mother but such as do the will of my Father which is in heaven Matth. 12.46 to 51. Whereas on the contrary Nothing rivils hearts so close as religion in things lawfull nothing rivits hearts so close as religion it unites them together as glew doth boards together it makes a knot even betweene such as never saw one anothers face that Alexander can not cut yea Tyrants will sooner want invention for torments then they with tortures bee made treacherous How many have chosen rather to embrace the flames then to reveale their companions and brethren in Christ There is no friendship like the friendship of faith There is Amor among Beasts Dilectio among Men Charitas among Christians that is their peculiar nature makes husband and wife but one flesh grace makes them even one spirit and it is a question whether naturall Parents are to be loved above spirituall we know that Christ preferred his spirituall kindred to that of the flesh and major est connexio cordium quà m sanguinum saith Beza Why should wee love them more that brought us into this sinfull and miserable world then those that bring us into a better world where is neither sinne nor misery why them that live with us on earth but a while equall to them that shal live with us in heaven for ever But to goe on Surely as grace in her selfe is farre above nature so is she likewise in her effects and consequently unites in a farre more durable bond Christians hearts are joyned one to another with so fast a glew that no by respects can sever them as you may see in that paire of friends Ionathan and David none had so much cause to disaffect David as Ionathan none in all Israel should be such a looser by David's successe as he Saul was sure enough setled for his time only his successor should forgoe all that which David should gaine so as none but David stands in Ionathan's way to the Crowne and yet all this cannot abate one dramme of his love As also in Ruth and Naomy whom nothing but death could part Ruth 1. If you will see other examples looke Rom. 1.10 11. 1 Thes 2.17 19.20 Galathians 4.18 19. Act. 20.37 38. and 16.15 Luke 4.42 2 Kings 2.4.9 and 4.9 10. As grace is the greatest attractive of love so is it the surest bond it is like varnish that makes seelings not onle shine but last Where God uniteth hearts carnall respects are too weake to dissever them since that which breakes off affection must needs be stronger then that which conjoyneth it and why doth S. Iohn use these words once to the elect Lady 2 Iohn 1.2 and againe to Gajus 3 Iohn 1. whom I love in the truth but to shew that to love in the truth is the only true love Indeed religion is the surest cement of all societies the loser joynts of all naturall and civill relations are compacted and confirmed by the sinewes of grace and religion and such a lose joynted friendship cannot hold long which wants the nerves of religion Wherefore give mee any foe rather then a resolved Christian no friend unlesse a man truly honest § 205. BUt here it will be objected Object That wee hate and contemne all Another objection answered who are not like our selves that wee remember them so much to
c. 770. Degrees Sathan workes men by degrees to the heigth of impiety and not all at once 423. Drunkennesse seven causes of it 259. the transcendency of the sin 694. it is the root of all evill 27. the rot of all good 33. it disables and indisposeth a man to all good 32. the cause of adultery 54. and of murther 50. brings poverty 62. deformes a man 66. debilitates the body 40. beastiates the soule 59. findes men fooles or makes them so 124 examples of drinke besotting men 129 discovers all secrets 82. makes dry and they cure sinne with sinne 78 no dispossessing of a drunken divel 231. wee ought not bee drunk to save our lives 768. Drunkards not to be reckoned among men 2. for they are beasts and wherein 7. yea they exceed beasts in beastlinesse 5. are inferiour to them in five particulars 10. they shame their creation 14. the drunkards outward deformities 37. his inward infirmities 40. he is his own executioner 19.47 one drunkard tongue enough for twenty men 80. his vaine babling 85. scurrilous jesting 86. wicked talking 87. impious swearing 89. his discourse and behaviour on the Ale-bench 115. to drink is all his exercise 144. all his labour is to satisfie his lusts 74. they drink not for the love of drink if you will believe them 272. which being so doubles their sin 274. they drink more spirits in a night then their flesh and brains be worth 145. Drunkards transform themselves into the condition of evill Angels 25. and practise nothing but the art of debauching men 307. how they intise 319. what they thinke of him they cannot seduce 521. but in time of their distresse they think otherwise ibid. how they will enforce men to pledg their healths 320. how impatieut of deniall 321. an unpardonable crime not to drinke as they doe 137. to damne their own soules the least part of their mischiefe 331. one true drunkard makes a multitude 332. if the divel would surrender his place it should be to some good fellow or other 334. the divell speakes in and workes by them as once he did by the Serpent 299. how drunkards smarme in every corner 336. Sathan more men on earth to fight for him then the Trinity which made us 301. Drunkards like Iulian who never did a man a good turn but it was to damn his soule 339. wher efore keepe out of their reach 714. see the danger and know their aime 714. refraine dispute with them or thou wilt not hold out 773. punishment of drunkards 147.456 they are reserved to the great day ibid. the drunkard hath beene too long sicke to bee recovered 690. they have a way to evade all Gods threatnings 542. E ENmity betweene the wicked and godly 341. proclaimed by God in Paradise 430. Envie if drunkards cannot seduce us they will envie and hate us 341. how their enuy vents it self at their mouths 1. by censuring the sober 347. whereof foure reasons 349. secondly by slandering them 358. whereof seven reasons 366. againe at their hands many wayes 391. of which five reasons 402. Evill we are more prone to then good 717. Example of the greatest Number 165. the greatest Men 169. the greatest Schollers 177. the best men 197. let Custome 162. Reason 202. Good intentions 206. bee added no safe rule to walk by without a precept 162. Excuses of drunkards taken away 154. F FAith 653. Drunkards would flout us out of our faith 381. Feare and cowardise a cause of drunkennesse 282. Fooles the greatest polititian the greatest foole 613. in five particulars made good 621. some wise in foolish things and foolish in wise things 638 bray them in a mortar they will not leave their sinnes 624. though the Divel makes fooles of them yet he makes them wise enough to make fooles of any that will trust them 636 the voluptuous fooles 643. the greatest bousers the greatest buzzards 121. the greatest humanist without grace little better 604. Forsake none but counterfeits will forsake Christ for all they can do 534. Friends wicked men wrong none so much as their best friends to whom they owe their very lives 515. love and friendship only among good men 843 G GOd his gifts numberlesse 481. Godly what is done to them Christ challengeth as done to himselfe 508. Goodnes alone the whetstone of a drunkards envie 386. Good and bad agree together like the Harp and Harrow 821. good men must be imitated only in good things 157. good intentions cannot justifie evill acts 206. good-fellowes who 820. reputation of goodfellowship 277. Guilty we may be of anothers sin divers wayes 825 H HAnds hatred and malice of drunkards would break out at their hands were they not manacled by the Law 391. Heart to get an humble heart 649. Hatred against the religious the most bitter and exorbitant 343. they hate none but the good 411. but they are sure of opposition 412. how their hatred vents it selfe 345. their hatred is against God and Christ 508. not to tell our neighbour of his faxlts is to hate him 826. to hate the vices of a wicked man but love his person 849. wee should hate evill in whomsoever 850. Hell a description of it and the last judgement 458.461 good men draw all they can to Heaven 440. wicked men all they can to Hell ibid. none helpe to people Hell like drunkards 451. they would have our company in Hell 436. and why 446. the covetous man can finde in his heart to go to Hell so his sonne may be left rich 629. Healths a shoinghorne to all excesse 309. they drinke others healths their owne deaths 323. of which many examples and of the just judgement of God upon drunkards 314. healths great in measure or many in number 310. if small the liquor is stronger or the number more 311. healths upon their knees 313. not more forward to drinke healths then zealous and carefull that other pledge the same 318. the rise and originall of health drinking 313. Honesty he the soberest and honestest man that resembles the drunkard least 691. good-fellowship the utmost of a drunkards honesty 139. Honour misprision of it and reputation 322 Hope easily blown into a wicked man and as soone blowne out of him 444. Hurt drunkards would hurt and maime us for being sober and conscionable if they durst 392. I IDlenesse a cause of drunkennesse and drunkennesse a cause of idlenesse 72. an idle person good for nothing but to propagate sin 73 Ignorance of drunkards 121.107 and all naturall men 177.600 the cause of all sin 593. drunkards in sensible of their sinne and danger because ignorant 107. Ingratitude and great folly of wicked men 526. Intention of soule-murther shall bee rew arded as if they did it 539. Ioy if true only enjoyed by good men 817. the joy of worldlings more talked of then felt 817. objections touching joy and good-fellowship answered 817. Iudge wicked men judge of things 757. and persons 759. by contraries 761. their judgement
in the house of God to be throwne out 93. of which five reasons 94. happy if they were kept by themselves 230 Shame Drunkards would mitigate their owne shame by discrediting the good 374. Singularity a vertue when vice is in fashion 225. Sinnes against knowledge and conscience 467. open and scandalous sinnes how evill 472. to multiply the same sinnes often 473 to commit one sin on the neck of another 473. how one mans sin may extend it selfe to millions yea after ages 539. Drunkards not only sin but make others sin too 493. the Divell shewes the sweet of sin but hides the bitter of punishment untill afterward 734. custome of sinne takes away the sense of sinne 427. Slander Drunkards raise slanders of the godly 358. of which seaven reasons 366. how apt men are to believe slanders of the godly and to spread them 360. what delight wicked men take in hearing evill of the good 361. a slander once raised will scarce ever dye 377. how they mitigate their owne shame by slandering others 368. and often prevaile against the good hereby 370. the condition of a slanderer set out 363. his sinne and punishment 378. Smiting God will not leave smiting untill we smite that which smites at his honour 253. Soule Drunkards guilty of Soule-murther 443. 530. nothing but our Soules will satisfie the Serpent and his seed 436. covetous man cares more for his outward estate then for body or soule 626. Spirit saving knowledge not attain'd without the Spirits help 655. Straite what a straite the godly are in 383. Striking 392. Subtilty and wisdome two different things 641. Successe custom of it makes men confident 241 Suffer our Saviour suffered two and twenty wayes of his enemies 397. Suggestion evill more ready at hand then a good 717 Superlative some men strive to bee superlative in sinne 415. severall examples of superlative sinners 416. Suspition ignorance the cause of it 351. Swearing the most in excusable sin 100. of which 2. reasons 101. that of all others the swearer shall bee sure of plagues 104. three wayes to make men leave their swearing 112. T TAle-bearing the receiver as bad as the tale-bearer 380. Tempting Sathan the Tempter wicked men his Apprentises or Factors under him 298. the many wayes that Sathan hath to set upon us 297. aswell reckon up the motes in the Sunne as all sorts of Seducers 304. all wicked men resemble the Divell in Tempting 286. how politick they are in Tempting 288. Drunkards Sathans principle agents in this businesse 306. the Drunkards chiefe delight is to infect others 286. Temptations on the right hand the most dangerous 746. A wise man will suspect the smooth streame for deepnesse 747. they never wound so deadly as when they stroke us with a silken hand 745. to bee a Tempter the basest office 330. their seduceing of others will adde to the pile of their torments 450. how greedy most men are of temptation 295. Sathan needs but say the word 295. or suggest the thought 296. the minde of man not capeable of a violation either from man or Sathan 303. it will bee a poore plea an other day to pretend that such and such deceived us 743. he whom the Lord loves shall be delivered out of their snares and he whom the Lord hates shal fall into them 341. Sathan disturbes not his own 387. no greater temptation then not to be tempted 388. Theefe objection of the thiefe upon the crosse answered 548. Thoughts of wicked men touching the religious not the same in distresse as in prosperity 524. Time they drink to drive it away 267 if times be bad wee should be more carefull 223. Tongues that drunkards use their tongues only a frivolous excuse 503. a lewd tongue a lowd one and a lowd tongue a lewd one 86. Traduce us because they cannot otherwise hurt us 376. V VErtue and vice can never accord 409. Victory Drunkards in conquering are most overcome 329. Vice every vice hath a title given it and every vertue a disgrace 293. Violence when by gentle perswasions they cannot prevaile they use violence 726. W VVIcked nothing will doe good upon a wicked heart 691. whereof many examples ibid. a continual warre betweene the wicked and the godly in all ages 432. Watchfulnesse 740. we must be Watchfull Wise Valiant if we will not be overcome by their allurements 739. Whores the Divel much beholding to whores but farre more to drunkards 451. Wine the drunkards high esteeme of it about making wise 45. Wine lawfull if used lawfully Winne wee should be as zâ—aâ—ous and industrious to win soules to God as they are to Sathan 455. Wisdome no wicked man a wise man 189. how wise the drunkard is in his owne conceit 118. of which two reasons 119. drunkards purâ—lind to worldly wisdome starke blind to heavenly 133. they not alwayes the wisest which know most 604. the religious man wiser then the most profound humanist 608. or the cunningest Politician 613. severall misprisions of wisdome 609. worldly men account folly wisdome and wisdom folly 601. objection that the strictest livers are seldome the wisest men answered 600. Witnesse every invitation to repentance will bee a witnesse against us 484. Word to believers is all in all 213. Words he would never endure blowes that connot concoct evill words 767. wee should read their words backward 763. World begins with milke ends with an hammer 720. whereas Christ keeps back the good wine untill afterwards ibid. many prefer the worlds favour before Gods 772. Worldlings have more peace with 1. Sathan 731. 2. the world 731. 3. themselves 732. then Gods people they may satisfie their lusts to the full 727. have free scope and liberty to do or say what they please 729 whereas Gods people are restrained intheir very thoughts ibid. whence they thinke themselves morâ— happy in serving the Divell then others in serving oâ— God 733. they profit more in sinne then the godly iâ— grace 734. they are penny wise and pound foolish 63â— but it is otherwise with the godly ibid Wounds those prove deepe wounds to weake Christianâ—â— that would be balm and physick unto abler judgement 765 Z ZEale a compounded affection of love and anger 84â— we should be as zealous in good as they are in evâ—â— 455 FINIS